Although my bedroom says otherwise, I enjoy a structured, organized life; One with to-do lists, calendars, planners, and countdowns. When I was deciding to come to Casa I asked what my typical day was going to look like. The answer was simply, there isn’t one. Every day events happen that weren’t a part of the plan, and as a volunteer it would be important for me to be able to be flexible. I was 100% up for the challenge, but I knew that it was going to be incredibly important for me to always have a positive mind-set about everything. Before I left the US, I decided that whatever was asked of me I would always say yes.
It turns out that saying yes to everything means, saying yes to 5:30am hikes, strong Amazonian coffee (which I have come to adore), going for long car rides to pick up donations or children at all hours of the day and night, and most recently to a camping trip in the Andes. Koky, a Peruvian who works at Casa, but speaks fantastic English, asked if I and my fellow long term volunteer would be interested in joining for the weekend. We both agreed and on Friday night we hiked through our town of Lurin to catch a bus that would take us and a group of 15 other Peruvians to Huancaya. The combination of blaring Peruvian music, insanely bumpy roads (including one that has earned the name, “most dangerous road in Peru” and is literally called “death road” by the locals), and insane altitude changes (where we were literally driving through the mountains) added up to me being quite sick. I was frustrated as I had just spent 7 hours on a bus to go hiking, and now I was too sick to go. However, I remembered what Calob, my boyfriend, and I always joke about: “It’s all part of the adventure.” Despite being quite ill, it was a trip filled with lots of memories and firsts. In Peru it is difficult to find a bathroom, and often times there is no toilet paper or a door. This meant peeing on the side of the road behind a tree. I had my first Peruvian s’mores, which differs in the fact that the marshmallows are colored and fruit flavored and graham crackers are replaced by chocolate dipped crackers. And, it was my first time being in the Mountains and I was in love with the scenery. When we returned home I battled the sickness for another week or so, but I am feeling 100% better, thanks to my good friend Ciprofloxacin 🙂
The adventure has continued and God continuously fills my life with love. Last weekend, I joined Father and some of the kids for mass in a neighboring district; after, we were served a Peruvian dish that I cannot remember the name of but should be called Carb Overload (it was literally pasta, rice, beans, and potatoes and it was absolutely delicious). Also, there were puppies, bunnies, and sheep to be pet. In addition, I have had a few guitar lessons from some of the kids and I am absolutely in awe at their talent. It turns out the guitar is very difficult and it appears I lack musical talent. That being said, I have been privileged with the world’s most patient kids. Kids who have all the joy in the world and are so open and willing to share that love and joy with me.
Alexandra's Adventrues Abroad 