Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. But, the pictures do not do it justice and they certainly don’t give you the feeling that standing above it looking down on this ancient city located high in the mountains does. The trip to Machu Picchu was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Peru was never at the top of my list of places to travel in my lifetime. Maybe it was because I didn’t know too much about it or because no one talks about how incredibly beautiful it is. Whatever the case, I am so glad that I chose to travel here and I would recommend it to anyone. Peru is unlike many places I have traveled to before. I have mostly travelled through Europe. While Peru is developing it is not quite as developed as places in Europe it has a lot of European influence because Peru was a Spanish colony for many many years. If people chose to study in Peru, I would definitely recommend taking a good amount of time in Cusco because it is a beautiful city and more separate from Spanish influence than Lima is.
My Spanish improved throughout the trip as well as my confidence in my Spanish level, which was the goal of this trip. When your host family only speaks Spanish, what choice do you have? My Spanish could have been improved slightly more if I had not been traveling with a group of people from Northeastern but it was comforting knowing there were people there similar to me who were experiencing the same things. I look forward to practicing my Spanish while on Co-op and keeping up the relationships I built with the students of the Peruvian university that we visited.
I would encourage all students to study abroad once in their life and if they cannot it is imperative to travel. In the world we live in, technology makes everything seem so close and blurs cultural lines. Despite this, every country is unique and within a country there can be so many different and unique cultures that are all worth experiencing. Peru, as many other countries, is a blend of different cultures. Acknowledging different cultures and mindsets of certain people allows you to have a worldly view and how this affects politics of the world. If I could study abroad again, I think I would return to South America to continue to improve my Spanish speaking skills.