May 2017: Diaries From Peru
May 15th: Feliz Dia de Las Madres
Oh goodness, what a day. In classic Natalie fashion, I might have come into this experience with much too high a level of optimism....Anyways today was honestly so great! Although I did have much more of a problem with the communication barrier than I anticipated, I realized that interacting with others without spoken language is truly eye opening and simply beautiful. In such a busy world, we often loose ourselves in our phones, the TV, or the guy yelling on Guad rather than actually listening to the person right next to us speak. By putting myself in a position where I have to make eye contact/work with others to understand them and accomplish a simple mutual goal, (as challenging as that may be), I have been forced to connect with those around me on a deeper level than that of a normal surface level exchange. Indeed yes, this aspect of my trip is still developing and I know that it will inevitably bring further frustration but for now, I am trying to look at it from the lens of providing an opportunity for me to reach others I most likely wouldn't reach in my normal environment.
On another note, if you know me, you know that I use the word sweet often to describe a sense of selflessness and caring people or things. Usually used in the context of "sweet Paul MacDowell" or "sweet Michael Butzer", today sweet took on a new meaning. My first task when I got to the school in the morning was to rub sunscreen on each child's face and hands since we are at such a high elevation and sunburn is a large risk. As I knelt down and placed my fingers on each little student's cheeks one by one, I realized just how appreciative they were for someone to care for them in such a small way. Their eyes shone so brightly with nothing but love and intrigue. As I tried to use the little Spanish I know to compliment them and thank them for their cooperation, I also came to notice that the words I said didn't matter to them. They just enjoyed being in the place they were with the people they were with. As I finished up and reflected on my first task, I couldn’t help but think wow. What a lesson for me. We are all taught to be thankful for our privileges, opportunities, and environments, but have I ever really sat and just been so thankful for the simple necessities of today? Further, all I can say is that those little children embody everything Ive ever thought sweet meant and more. They are innocent, kind, and pure. They have taught me already to have a more pure and thankful heart.
5 Things I learned today:
1. Boys can be entertained for a full 15 minutes by fake throwing punches and kicks at each other.
2. Don’t drink water during a meal. It’s not a thing. whoops?
3. Wear two pairs of socks. Toes are somehow the first thing to get cold on my body.
4. Pushing kids on a swing for 30 minutes is definitely an arm workout. Not gonna complain cause I deserve that one.
5. Don’t be afraid to be embarrassed in front of elementary school kids when you don’t know how to speak at their basic level in their language. Worst they can do is laugh then help you learn?
After coming back from the school, I explored one of the plazas for a bit, took a nap, then hung out with a few of my other roommates who live in my same homestay. They are super cool and come from all over North America so its very interesting to hear their stories and what brought them here.
I am looking forward to tomorrow and what all it has in store yet I can't help but wish I had someone else here with me to experience these same things. So far, what a trip its been!
xoxo, nat
May 16th: My Solo Day In Cusco
Hi guys! Haha I feel weird acting like a blogger but we’re just gonna go with it for the time being.
Quick recap of my situation: So today I woke up to a nice headache and sore throat. After having strep last week, I wasn't too concerned since I only took my medicine once yesterday and haven’t been drinking enough water to acclimate to the elevation. (sorry mom) As a result, I was advised not to come into the school and suddenly found myself with a completely open day. alone. in Cusco. Naturally I got pretty excited since I love alone time (to an extent) and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to walk into town, eat something at the cute bakery next to my volunteer center's office, and possibly explore one of the many cathedrals Cusco has to offer.
While sitting in the coffee shop I took a moment to soak in how each person around me has a unique story. Even though Iv'e reflected upon this many times before, I somewhat sat in awe of God's ability to love each and every one of us so fully regardless of the story we have. Since having so much independence in such a far away place has made me realize the extent of control which I have over my life's path, sitting drinking hot mint tea debating on whether to get a piece of cake in a small coffee shop surrounded by strangers has made me totally reconsider my perspective on what my role is as a young adult Natalie. Who would have guessed?
Something that all people probably inadvertently know about me but wouldn’t necessarily use to describe me is that I always aim to place full trust in God completely doing everything for a reason. Although this sometimes works in a disadvantageous way such as me thinking oh if I don't do as well as I hope on this test it will work out, oh if I don't get this opportunity then something else will come along, or maybe we weren’t meant to be as good of friends as I hoped for a reason; it is so true. Letting go of any control I think I have over my life lets me see that everything really does always work out. Yes we’ve failed and bad things or things we didn’t want to happen have happened to us, but has it made us any less resilient or appreciative of the good things that come along in our lives? No. I choose to trust that God will place everything and everyone in my life for a reason. Good and bad.
Well, I decided to get the piece of cake. yolo no regrets. Im also tearing up right now listening to my greatest love Michael Bublé while my truly sweet waiter sends me a smile.:) The most beautiful opportunity we have to experience in this world is to see the goodness of people's hearts at work and today has been one big example of that. Sweet tears. Good tears.
Thank you God for an adventure of a lifetime.
xoxo, nat
May 17th: Why Though
So let’s be real here, this trip isn’t the most glamorous travel experience. Actually its pretty far from it. Rooming with 10 other people, taking luke warm to cold temperature showers with 1/4 of the normal water pressure and walking a ridiculous amount to get anywhere isn't necessarily on my bucket list. Butttttt entering an experience like this, you have to accept that you win some and ya lose some.
Today was kind of a day of struggles. Waking up at 6:20 every morning isn't the most pleasant yet once I am dressed, eat breakfast, and start to walk to town to catch the taxi, I am thankful that I am up early and have the entire day to experience. Today, I stood in the cold at the post office corner for around 20 minutes waiting for Profesor Pati to meet me to head to the school. Peruvian time is not based on the clock, it’s based on personal readiness, so you can't ever expect others to really mean that they will meet you at the time they set. Eventually we met up and walked to the taxi where we had to squeeze 12 people in an 8 person bus.
Another tid bit, Peruvians are not concerned about personal space. They do not find it weird to touch each other on the street, sit right next to each other in an open area, or always be next to someone else regardless of where they are going or who they are. Their culture lends itself to intimacy overall; as exemplified by their traditional greeting of kissing one another on the cheek and hugging strangers. This is a big one for me. If you know me well, you know that I am a very observant person who truly prioritizes spatial awareness and am affected by other's regard for it. That seems harsh but it is one of my biggest flaws. I get overwhelmed by crowdedness and pushing or touching when Im not super comfortable with the people I am around. Peru has tried and tested me on this flaw time and time again. Today especially in the van where I rode for 40 minutes with someone half on my lap and someone else's elbow in my back, I struggled. :/
The school day finally started and it was long. We worked on schoolwork about twice as much as we had on Monday because of the Mother's Day celebration. I felt as though everything drug out endlessly because the lessons required me to communicate with the children not just in a casual manner but as an authority whose aim was to help them learn. But once again, I don't really speak Spanish. This made everything just 10 times more difficult. After ending the day at 2:15 and heading back to Cuzco, I was a bit down on the day. I walked into the volunteer office common area and decided that I needed to just take some quiet time to write my journal and debrief. As soon as I sat down at a table, a younger Peruvian girl approached the same table. This table had 8 chairs and was only occupied by me. Naturally, in the States, you would probably sit across the table from a stranger maybe 3 chairs away and say hi, smile, or not even make contact with the other individual. In this case, the girl sat down directly next to me. I cringed in my head as I felt my uncomfy vibes set in. I wanted to think, 'Really? You could have chosen six other chairs.' but I had to remind myself that this is just what Peruvians feel is the normal thing to do. This kind of capped off my annoyance and I knew that instead of sitting trying to ignore my lack of space, privacy, and comfort I should call my sister to express my frustrations/catch up. This always helps. Hearing Holly's voice on the other end of the line was such a relief. We talked about my day, her day, and what I should focus on to turn the situation around. Just being able to talk to someone about my little struggles made me realize just how much I needed to reframe the day and pick my positive attitude back up. Thanks to Holly, I was able to do just that. Afterwards, I walked back home and hung out with my roommates then ate the dinner that Josefina our house mom made for us. We laughed endlessly at the table about nothing (since I laugh at basically anything and everything) and I was reminded that this place is so very special. Regardless of the struggles I may have and differences I encounter with the Peruvian culture, God will always lead me back to a place where I can grow from my environment and live with a more open mindset.
Okay, I promise the optimism level will be up in the coming days. Ciao!
xoxo, nat
May 18th: Perspectives & People
Hola everyone! Guess what! Today was a better day! Even though the first thing to occur when I was at the school was me unfortunately stepping in dog poop, I kinda thought it was pretty comical since it totally would be the first thing to occur to me on a day when Im trying to be as positive as possible. lol
Well the most interesting part of my day was probably when Profesor Pati left me to teach the classroom on my own for ten minutes. I was tasked with going over the order of numbers; asking the children which number came 'antes de' blank and which number came 'despues de' blank. The first person to raise their hand and give the correct answer could come up to the board and write their number. Easy task. Umm the second Pati left all chaos broke loose. I'm talking kids swarming me trying to grab my dry erase markers to answer the question, screaming out numbers and eventually running out of the classroom to do who knows what outside. The one key phrase I needed at that moment was something I couldn't for the life of me remember: sit down. Hahaha eventually I was able to put together words and phrases that calmed the kids down a bit and got through the lesson with even a bit of order. This is when I reaffirmed, I cannot and never will be an elementary school teacher.
As much as I was in a flurry due to this situation, I realized that it takes so much to have patience and place your focus into children. Especially with the children I work with, they are so impressionable that it is such a unique experience to be able to work with them at this stage in their lives. As the day went on and I worked with Profesor Pati helping the kids sound out and write different phrases and sentences, it was so very rewarding to see their progress. The genuine excitement on their faces when they finally understood something was priceless. Muy bien and a high five meant the world to them and having a part in giving that positive reinforcement is all I could have ever asked for as a volunteer.
After school I went with Profesor Pati to buy the paint for our upcoming art projects. Another moment of true thankfulness passed when we left the supply store. She kissed me on the cheek as we parted ways and expressed her gratitude for my contributions towards the improvements to the eco-escuela. Although I was appreciative of her thankfulness, what completely stood out to me in that moment was the excitement Pati had for the future of her school. 20 years Pati has been working at the Simatuacca school and she still hasn’t lost an ounce of her passion for bettering the lives of her students and community. I truly cannot show how much I admire her for this.
Today was an example of the lesson that you really can't dwell on cultural differences; you have to accept them and even better, embrace them.
At the end of the day, I visited Quericancha; one of the most ancient and culturally significant temples in Cusco. Oh goodness was it beautiful. I sat on a bench on the edge of the main area of the complex and was completely taken back by the history that surrounded me. I pictured myself sitting in the same place where Incans and Spanish priests had worshipped our God over 1,000 years ago. Needless to say, I soaked it all in and said a little prayer.
Overall, great things happening here! Thanking the big man for showing me so much beauty from the people and environment around me today.
xoxo, nat
May 19th: The People I Meet & The Places We Go
Its Friday!!! That doesn’t really mean anything significant but its still exciting so bare with me!
Today at school we had project day. As an end of the week celebration, we mainly painted recycled bottles like animals and turned them into containers that we could grow plants in. The kids were super stoked and I wasn't complaining since this meant more arts and crafts time and less 'let me try to understand and communicate back to you' struggle time.
Because school wasn't too eventful or different today, I decided that it was about time for me to elaborate on my living situation and the friends that Ive made here in Peru!Although I do spend a large portion of time alone, I would not be able to remain sane and appreciative of this experience if I didn't have fun and supportive people surrounding me each day.
First, I'll start with my house mom, Josefina. Josefina is a wonderful and witty lady. She cares for all of us like her own children and caters to our needs while pushing us to fully immerse ourselves into the Peruvian culture. Each day she provides breakfast at all different times for those of us that have early morning projects then cooks a big family dinner around 7:30 pm. When dinner is ready she'll have her daughter Camilla call out in the exact same tone and rhyme, "Deener es readyyyyyy". It’s pretty funny because it is a highly orchestrated routine where you will hear Josefina whisper 'Camilla Camilla, its time!' and then proceed to hear Camilla call out. This is the best time of the day where we can all enjoy each others company and interact with Josefina more personally. No worries, she’s already added us all on Facebook and is liking all of our posts. Thank you Josefina. Your'e a gem.
Next, I'll describe Adam. Adam is one of the best human beings I have ever met. He is 23 and from The Bay Area in California. Adam cares for others ten times more than himself and is always looking to make those around him feel comfortable, happy and loved. Although he is a bit older than me, I have never felt a divide in our friendship because of it. He is appreciative of everyone and his sarcasm cannot be beat since he is actually the kindest person in our house. Today I told Adam at dinner that I would trust him with my life and he was so flattered. hahahah I really meant it though. He is the most selfless person and lives without fear of being judged or ridiculed. I want to be more like Adam.
Now we have Janna and Nicole! These are the girls that sleep one next to me and one above me. Janna and Nicole are both 18 year olds from Calgary, Canada. They are two peas in a pod but have very different personalities. Janna is a more subdued person that is always looking for the next activity to pursue. Nicole is a laugh at everything and avid nap enjoyer type person. Together they are the best duo to have around. They are chill but constantly making me laugh about Adam, the other interesting characters in our house, or basically anything about our situation in Peru. As soon as I got to the house, we all clicked and I couldn't imagine it any other way.
Well overall, Adam, Janna and Nicole have made me feel so much more comfortable and loved here. Having friends in a foreign place is necessary. Tomorrow I will embark on my journey up rainbow mountain alongside these three and I can't contain my excitement!
What an adventure this first week has been. Thanking God for the continual new experiences, opportunities and challenges he has placed in my path. Stay awesome fam!
xoxo, nat
May 20th: A Day To Remember
Today was my first chance to go out and explore the nature that Peru has to offer! After waking up at 2:30am to get on a bus and travel 3 hours out towards Rainbow Mountain, I was in complete awe of my surroundings from the minute we got near the starting point. We ate breakfast with a local family then headed about 15 minutes further west to start our trek. For the first 25 minutes of our ascent, I had to walk up the steepest portion of the mountain. Needless to say, I thought I would have to turn around and B-line back to the bus. Let’s acknowledge that my stamina is nowhere near where it used to be and I haven’t been able to actually work out since being in Peru. Well, surprise, I made it through and eventually got to the place where I met my horse. Thank God for my horse and its guide Niconera. They made everything today was, possible. I decided while riding the horse that I was grateful enough for Niconera that I would name my first born son after him in remembrance of his hard work and selflessness. That was before I knew his name was Niconera. Still dedicated to the cause so Im sorry to my future husband and child.
The 3 hour trek up the mountain was truly one of the most inexpressibly amazing experiences of my life. I looked around thinking 'how did God create such a place that we are lucky enough to call home.' Every square inch of what I could see was handmade by him. Its pretty hard to fathom. Surroundings can get overwhelming. Coming to a place where most of what you see is untouched and purposeful in its beauty is so refreshing. I have never been mature enough to truly absorb the surroundings like I was able to today. When we reached the peak, my roommate Nicole and I just stood and smiled. What an amazing place to be! Physically standing in a place so far from where your normal life takes place really puts it all in perspective. Or rather shows you how out of perspective you are.
We eventually met up with our tour guide, learned a bit about the history and background of Rainbow Mountain then mounted our horses for the descent. Flurries of snow began to fall as we made our way back to the starting point. I don’t think it could get more surreal.
That night, we went to a couple bars to celebrate a friend's 21st who we had met that day on the hike. Let me tell you, going out in Peru is not like going out in Austin. haha I took more enjoyment in just observing others than enjoying myself but it was a blast. Lol, I laughed at everyone else's awkward dancing which is one of my favorite pastimes.
All in all, today was breathtaking in all aspects. Cool views, cool people and cool times.
Happy Saturday everyone!
xoxo, nat
