Here We Are!

Last night I finally arrived in Peru! Flying in and seeing the coast all lit up with the boats in the ocean was a very special welcome. It didn’t take long for my group and I to get through customs and arrive at our hotel. My friends, Karley and Maeve, and I had a very nice taxi driver that let us play cheesy American pop music the entire ride to the hotel. Once we got our keys and settled into our rooms, we promptly passed out.

First Day in Lima

We started our morning slow and then Maeve, Karley, and I found a nice little cafe to have brunch. We ended up meeting up with Will and Taiyo to start adventuring for the day! We started at Parque Kennedy, a small park in Miraflores that has tiny houses for the cats that live there! We then walked over to the coast and visited Parque del Amor, which had the most gorgeous views and mosaics along the walls! We were also able to walk down to the ocean and see the rocky “beach” and enjoy the waves. We found another great restaurant for dinner, and explored some of the markets in the city.

First Impressions

When we first arrived, it was difficult to make out the landscape and sights because it was so late. The first thing I noticed was the traffic patterns. Or the lack of, maybe? It seemed like cars were coming and going from everywhere, and our taxi got cut off more than once. The roundabout situations confuse me with the multiple lanes and lights, but luckily I don’t have to drive through them!

Our travels today took us all around the Miraflores district, so we got to see a good bit of the city in the light! It was really cool to see how the people move about and the city come to life during the day. It took a little bit for me to get my bearings, because the city feels familiar in some ways, but then I’m reminded I’m in a completely different country. It’s not quite what I anticipated, but I did really enjoy what I’ve seen so far! Like I said earlier the traffic is the biggest surprise, so are the crosswalks in some places. My group noticed today that jaywalking seems to be the normal to-do.

The people are very nice, and very understanding of our poor attempts at basic Spanish. We’ve been able to make our way around fairly easy. Altogether I like the feel of the city and the people, as it feels very laid pack despite being quite busy. The people don’t seem in a rush (besides the drivers lol), and the streets aren’t overly crowded.

Expectations

I admit when I first thought of this trip, I focused more on the Amazon and Cusco, so I really didn’t know what to expect from Lima. I’m happy to say I’m enjoying it so far, and am really looking forward to our museum and corporate visits! I’m excited to be a little more interactive with the city, and really get a glimpse into what corporate culture is like over here.

As much as I loved our free day to wander around, I am really looking forward to the visits geared toward our classes. My group picked up little hints of recycling efforts around the city, so I’m curious to see how big sustainability practices truly are here. I’m also interested to see the business structure and culture. America is very rigid in their corporate worlds, so I’m wondering if it’s any different here.

My Goals for this Trip

It’s really starting to set in just how amazing this trip is. I kept looking at Karley and Maeve today saying “we’re really in a Perú?!” I just feel so blessed to have such a wonderful opportunity, and it’s already paying off. I’m very excited to see what I get to learn through these experiences, and see my group mates do just the same.

For this trip, I really don’t want to take anything for granted. Our professor encouraged us to make 3 goals for our time here, so I hope those will help me in my efforts.

Be open to anything and everything: don’t let the fear of being in a new place hold you back from making memories or doing what you want to do.
Learn from anyone you can: the people on the side walk, in the markets, the corporate workers, even my own group members. All of these people have stories and lessons to share, but being close minded won’t allow you to benefit from them. Pay close attention to tour and corporate guides!
Make this the kind of trip I tell my kids about: more than likely this will be my only visit to Peru, so I want to enjoy it! I want to experience all the culture, history, and livelihood of this beautiful country. Hopefully my travels can one day inspire my own kids to go out on a limb for a program like this.

Looking Ahead

With this being only the first day, I feel I don’t have much to comment on other than my shock and awe of being in a new country. But if today showed me anything, it’s that this trip is going to be INSANE! In a good way, though! There’s so much to see and to learn, I just can’t wait to get going.

I’m writing this while winding down for bed, with a full itinerary awaiting us tomorrow. Trust, I will be back soon with more updates! For now, enjoy this picture of Will and Taiyo that we may or may have forced them to take: