Branching Out

One of the best parts of this trip so far has been staying with a host family. They are very welcoming and it forces me to practice my Spanish with them because they speak little to no English. I am living with one other girl from Northeastern, which is helpful when we can’t think of certain words in Spanish so we help each other out. We each have our own rooms with our own bathroom, which is much nicer than I expected. The house is located pretty centrally, close to the school and the main square of Miraflores. Some students are living alone with host families while others were placed with several other students. I enjoy being able to eat the food that typical Peruvians eat on a day-to-day basis. Our host family has been providing us with breakfast and dinner.

I knew a few people going into the trip so that was helpful in meeting their friends and branching out. It is difficult to be in a totally new environment while trying to make new friends. Our classes are assigned by level of Spanish so we can meet new people. There are 32 people on this trip; so everyday I am meeting new people. It is interesting to learn the reasons people came on this trip: some to learn Spanish, some to say they’ve visited Peru, and some to learn about the culture or any combination of the three. I hope to meet, talk to, and learn more about the people on this trip and by the end I believe we will all be very close.