¡Vamos al Peru!
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Hola! I am so excited and honored to have this experience to study abroad for a whole month! My obsession with travelling, if you could call it that, started last summer when I had the opportunity to study abroad in Cadiz, Spain for two weeks with Centro MundoLengua. Along with some of my best friends/classmates and my Spanish teacher, we gained valuable experience that I will remember for a lifetime. As soon as I got off the plane I immediately had an itch to go abroad again. I searched for programs similar to the one I had been on, when I came across CIEE. It took me days of research, practically a 6 page research paper, and cornering my mom during a 4 hour car ride to convince my parents to let me go, but I did it! I couldn't have done it without the support of my Spanish teacher Mrs. Oden. She is always encouraging me to go out and experience the world for myself, I'm so grateful for her! I am also grateful for my friends who have been very supportive of me and excited about me going.
Destination: Pisac, Peru; June 10-July 7
I decided to go to Pisac because I am very unfamiliar with the culture of most of South America, especially Peru. As I did more research and read more about what CIEE will have in store for this trip, I came to find it is one of the most interesting places in the world. Pisac is located in the Sacred Valley right outside of Macchu Picchu, one of the 7 Wonders of the World, and has a rich, historic culture dating all the way back to Incan times. Their traditions still live on, including a local dialect of Pisac called Quechua. I have also come to learn that a favorite local food is "cuy" or guinea pig! Yum!
For this trip I'm hoping to be able to improve my Spanish speaking ability and learn about the history and culture of Peru. There is a big difference between learning a language in a classroom and from a book, versus hearing and speaking it with native speakers. I have been preparing myself for Pisac by speaking in Spanish with my Spanish teacher, and doing research about the region where I'm staying. The town seems amazing and I can't wait to experience it all!
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