Peru Calling

I'm headed out to Peru today on the EGL Volunteer Abroad Trip. This is an annual event that EGL students participate in. In the past we've been to Costa Rica, Guatemala and this year it's PERU! We will be helping people in the villages who use wood to cook their food in their homes to build and use stoves that are better for their health. We will also be building weaver huts for their weaver business. 15 of us are going on this trip this year and today is the departure date! I am very excited and am looking forward to experiencing a new country and its culture. No promises on updates while I am away for 2 weeks however I will definitely update on details once I am back!

Nayana

Reflections

I've been back in America for a while and realized that there are a few things I dearly miss about china and something I definitely don't. I miss the food (taste and cost), the people I met (locals and Michigan kids), the city, the places we visited, the free time that we had to explore the city, the fact that I could get my shoes fixed and cleaned on campus, table tennis, fighting for seats on the metro ( we developed some great strategies and got really good at it), our buddies, bubble tea.

Things that I will try not to take for granted - cereal with milk, knowing the language of a country, knowing how to order food, not having to bargain for everything, home cooked food, being close to family, friends, having people around you who speak the same language, safe drivers, my personal space, finding tp and soap in all bathrooms.

Going to China was a GREAT experience. I learned so much about another culture. I was hesitant going to China first but after coming back I realized that an open mind is key to being able to enjoy yourself in another country and within another culture. One shouldn't pay much attention to stereotypes because I know I was pleasantly surprised. The picture of China that I had before I got there is soooooooo different from the picture I have of China now. This visit made me more open to visiting other places. I now want to travel the world.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself in China. I will miss everyone that I met there and definitely recommend this program =)

Goodbye China

Nayana