Upon arriving to Cusco I realized that Peru wasn't all just "el campo" and women wearing colorful outfits selling potatoes (although there are many women who still dress traditionally from los campos). Cusco is actually very similar to the United States - minus the stress about money, the rushing around to this place and that, and the cranky people. It's truly wonderful to experience a different type of life outside of the US, it actually kind of shows how absurd our time frames are and our constant need for scheduling. It has been a wonderful break from straightening my hair, painting my nails, and keeping track of the time!
Mi familia
My host family has been the greatest contribution to my trip that I could have ever imagined - plus, of course, my roommate, Sarah. These people are truly incredible and have boosted my Spanish skills, along with my outlooks on many parts of life, to an entirely new level. Just one example is dinner: in the US we take dinner for granted so much - a time to sit down and share a moment with the people you love; like come on people! IT'S IMPORTANT! Every night after dinner we would attempt to speak the Spanish language - amidst awkward Spanglish and pauses of "entiendes?" (do you understand?) - but nonetheless it was these moments that have built the foundation of my entire trip.I have fallen asleep every night so thankful for the opportunity to live with Carmela and Guillermo for these 5 short weeks. I have never been so spoiled in my entire life - with food, the Spanish language at my finger tips, and the ability to learn about very different customs. After spending every morning with Carmela in the kitchen, I have had the opportunity to learn some cooking skills along with some life skills to continue even when the future seems cloudy or you feel like what your doing isn't being noticed. Guillermo constantly is making me laugh and smile with his upbeat attitude and positive outlook on life. His love for life has shown me the importance of surrounding myself with happy people who are looking to bring the best out in me. These people are truly incredible and I look forward to visiting again on my next South American trip!
Las aventuras
I knew that I would take a lot away from this trip, but I never quite expected it would be this much. After adventuring around southern Peru (Valle Sagrado, Machu Picchu, Lago Titicaca, and the Amazon) I quickly began to realize how small I am in the scheme of things. But I also realized the significance that just one person can have on an entire city, empire, or country of people. The Inca and their culture have been extremely fascinating to learn about, along with the Spanish conquest of America that has both benefited and plagued this entire continent. The thing I love most is that all of these experiences, whether bad or good, have remained a part of the culture of Cusco even after all this time. It is the idea that no matter the history, it will always be a part of you.
It's so easy to think "I'm going to forget this and be my own person" but it's impossible. Every situation we encounter affects us and will continue to impact our choices. Because of one choice made in the past, we are where we are now. And I love how I somehow ended up in this wonderful city, enjoying some of the most incredible experiences I have ever been offered. Spanish wasn't always a "future objective" for me but I am so glad that somewhere in time I made the crazy choice to continue struggling yet pursuing the language.
El Español
I have been asked multiple times about my language growth while abroad. It's kind of a hard question to answer right now because I have been living this life, speaking Spanish and attending 5 hours of Spanish class every day, that I have kind of forgotten what it is like to live without it. While skyping my mom I often catch myself using filler phrases, like "qué más (what else?)" and definitely "sí" this one is CONSTANTLY slipping out, as if I have forgotten that I can to speak English with her.
All-in-all I believe my Spanish has greatly improved - at least the listening portion. I think speaking is always challenging when you aren't fluent, just have to keep practicing! In a classroom setting I can pick up about 95% of what is being said, but the street-talk is an entirely different story, maybe 75%. It's amazing how different classroom-talk and street-talk are! I have come across some funny phrases that either translate directly or don't...I was told that I have "dos pies izquierdos" while I was attempting to salsa...So yes that translates directly to two left feet. But when I was trying to explain that my "nose was running" I got a VERY blank stare from my host dad...
Things to Remember
Evaluate your growth.
I believe that the most important thing to remember after this trip is that there is a reason why I stuck with this language. It is so easy to doubt your abilities while learning another language and to shy away from your successes as if they were lucky - but it's ok to say "I got that grade because I worked hard" or when people tell you that you are a good speaker and listener to take it seriously and accept it with more than a "gracias". It's important to step back - often - and remember how far you've come, but also how far you have yet to go. It has been so exciting to glance both backward and forward - deciding my next endeavor and a future for my occupation.
Travel.
I would have never been able to receive an experience like this within the US. It is a completely different type of language use when you are forced to result to other adjectives to explain what you mean rather than explain yourself in English.
By being submersed in an entire culture, I have become fascinated with their way of life and the history that this place is built around. It is so rich with context that was constructed from the Inca's that continuously infiltrates every aspect of life - food, language, customs, festivities. It's honestly quite incredible.
Try new things.
Food especially. Peru is so extremely rich in the sector of gastronomy - I have never experienced anything quite like it. They literally have more than 400 types of potatoes...anyways, although there were a few dishes I didn't quite enjoy (riñon - liver) I tried every single thing. It is so important to immerse yourself in the culture - it's easy to say "I want cereal every morning like I do at home" but that isn't how they live here. For your short trip, swallow your pride and continue to try new things and different ways of life - it keeps things interesting :)
Capture your adventures.
It's okay to procrastinate your reading for one night in order to write your blog or upload your pictures of your trip. Not only for me, but for my family - the internet has been a great way to remember my adventures. Although it might seem a bit extreme at the time to blog so much, I know in the future I will be able to look back and relive all of these incredible experiences.
Finalmente
Thank you for electronically tagging along with me for the past 5 weeks! I hope you have enjoyed my crappy story-telling and awesome experiences while I was abroad. Peru will forever hold a spot in my heart and hopefully I have convinced some of you to put this amazing place somewhere on your bucket list! Stay tuned for my next adventure :)
*Treat yo-self ... bc I have an infected bug bite and I leave in 2 days so why not*
*Gonna miss this chica!!!*
*Celebrating Guillermo's 60th birthday!*
No comments:
Post a Comment