Hi Mom and Dad!

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Hi Mom and Dad!

I hope you guys are doing well, I miss you over here! My time in Peru has been unlike anything I have ever experienced. Saying yes to a 40-day trip to a different country has been rewarding in ways I can’t describe. I know you guys always ask what exactly my role is here so I figured it's time to give you a sneak peek!

My day-to-day life here is really awesome and I have formed super special relationships. I wake up every morning around 7 or 8, usually to the sound of people walking on the sidewalk past our volunteer house on Calle Grau. I brush my teeth, wash my face, and head down the stairs of the house to our quirky orange kitchen. I love the mornings before work days because everyone files into the kitchen at different times a bit groggy and ready for the day! Usually, Santi is in charge of coffee, Zachary goes to get fresh bread from the Orno in the town Plaza, and everyone else helps cook up some breakfast. Mom, we have been making some really good avocado toast with lemon and salt!

Around 9 everyone heads out of the house and breaks off to their prospective destinations. The green and sunlit mountains are constantly in view from the moment you walk out of the house. A lot of the volunteers work at specific schools during the week. The beauty of my job as the Social Media Intern is that I get to do it all! The other day I visited Zachary at la Escuela de San Antonio in Huaro (a neighboring town of Andahuaylillas). Zachary works with an amazing program that specializes in educating students with special needs. I met all of the loving women he works with and the beautiful children that he helps to teach. The teachers are kind, patient, most importantly they love their job, and they think Zachary is hilarious. From my time spent at Zach’s school, I have learned that the foundation of education should always be rooted in love and passion for growth.

Sometimes, I meander to the Primaria de Fe y Alegria in Andahuallyias to spend time with Juliana. Juliana is a PE coach for some very curious and kind children. The children love her, and personally I think she was made to be a teacher. I love watching her with the children and I also love getting to be a part of it! School days end around 12 which gives me plenty of time to head to the Parish to help Julia, Ines, and Estella cook in the kitchen for about 150 of the locals. Estella and Julia have definitely taught me a thing or two about cooking in Peru. I value my time with them a lot, they are filled with wisdom and are an integral part of the community.

When I am not bouncing around the schools and the parish, I spend a lot of time behind the curtains of Project Fabrica. Project Fabrica is an initiative of the project that serves to support local women who work with textile products. The team on the ground here works with the women and small companies all around the Quispicanchi region to design products and orders to sell in the US. During intern meetings, we are constantly brainstorming ways to increase activity around this beautiful industry. I have learned so much about their practices and the deep-rooted culture behind their work. Some afternoons I hang out with the ladies in the colorful workshop clouded with conversations and we all laugh through my Spanish when I stumble over words I don’t know. However, the ladies are patient and love to show me how they work. Just yesterday, one of my favorite women in the tienda, Francisca, taught me how to weave a traditional bracelet by hand. Let’s just say, I need a few more lessons.

After long days filled to the brim with stimulating interactions, all of us volunteers find our way back to the house around 5 or 6. Then comes one of my favorite parts of the day - dinner. The process of dinner is always entertaining. My cooking skills from home are definitely put to the test here. The gas lit oven seems to be my worst enemy. We alternate dinner and dishes between all of the volunteers. Someone is always playing music and you never know if it's going to be Latin Music, Rap, or Country. Juliana and I take turns cooking and teaching the few recipes we know. I wrote out a grilled cheese and tomato basil soup recipe for the boys to make the other day. They successfully did not burn the kitchen down and were so proud of themselves. Dad, it reminded me of you when you attempted to make eggs. Dinners are almost always followed by games, stories from the day, and “get-to-know-you” questions. I will say, I have gotten to know so many new parts of myself since I have been here, I have laughed over challenges with speaking Spanish, and smiled big about the experiences I get to do every day.

On top of this I am constantly taking pictures and videos. You guys know that this is where my creativity comes to life. Being on the ground here provides me with the opportunity to truly tell the stories from behind the lense. I am meeting so many people and truly getting to know their stories, their struggles, their happy places, what makes them laugh, what makes them sad. But above all I see all the more clearly that at our core, we are all the same. We all have fears, laughs, friends, families, we are all complicated and beautifully flawed. Slowly, with their permission I have been able to capture their stories with a few snapshots.

We have a saying in the volunteer house: “wants not needs”. We don't “need” sushi restaurants, closets full of new clothes, working Wi-Fi, three bath towels a person, a working oven, etc. Being here has made life a lot simpler, it resets the things that are really important. I find happiness and contentment through conversations rather than materialism. I thought that my choice to travel to Peru was a “want”, something I didn't technically have to do. Being here, I now realize that, selfishly, this trip was a necessary step for growth and knowledge.

You guys have to come visit Peru someday! There is so much to see, to learn, and to enjoy! I know you would both love it here!

All my love,

Madi