Ellen’s Peru Experience

“Things are great here. I love my job and the girls and their kids are so amazing! I will be sad to leave them in a month. My supervisor is wonderful! Certainly a powerhouse but so much fun and I couldn’t have asked for a better supervisor. Mila (the Kaya Peru Site Director) is also a pleasure and is always concerned with my continued well being. I even have a meeting with her today. She is so sweet!

Today I will be buying washers and dryers for the girls with money raised from friends and family back home.  I am excited to get them installed and see what the girls think.

Cusco is an interesting city. I have learned a lot about the culture while living here. I love my host family.  My host Mom is so sweet and she takes good care of me. I think the world of her.

I also want to mention how amazing my Spanish classes are.  It has been one of the best parts of my experience here.  My Spanish teachers don’t just teach me grammar; they plan field trips for all of us to do things like get our futures told by a brujo (traditional healer) who reads your coca leaves. They took us to eat cuy (guinea pig) and visit a cemetery. They schedule salsa lessons once a week and cooking classes to learn about typical Peruvian food. When I have had issues with my cell phone not working or didn’t know where to buy a hairdryer we used class time to take me and help me solve those little issues and run errands. Which was helpful as well as educational since we spoke Spanish the whole time. Last week I found out that there was a place you could go and get a guitar hand made especially for oneself and they even let you help construct it. This week I am going to the workshop to make a guitar for my friend!! It has been so much fun. They have helped us find trips and adventures to explore outside of Cusco on the weekends and they always make sure we are getting the best prices.

Everyone has been so great. This experience would not have been the same with out the team here. They really helped bring all of us together and it has felt like a family.

I am off to buy some laundry facilities for the girls. Take care!