The day we've been waiting and preparing for has finally arrived. As we pack our bags and gather our necessities, various feelings take over each of us. A mixture of excitement, nerves, curiosity, and hope. After months of planning, fundraising, and group meetings our journey finally begins. The twelve of us, all University of Maryland graduate students, come from different programs, backgrounds, and walks of life. Our diversity makes us unique however it is our eagerness to learn about a new culture and our dedication to make the world a better place that unites us.
Join us, as we begin our Alternative Winter Break experience to Cusco, Peru. Our blog will share reflections of our day to day Peruvian adventure. Our trip focuses on education and community development in an indigenous Quechua community. We have the pleasure of working with the non-profit organization UBELONG and providing support to educational institutions that assist underprivileged children in Cusco.
Before departing, we shared our pre-trip feelings. Phoebe shared "I feel nervous and excited after waking up this morning. I know there must be lots of things to do during our stay in Peru, and communication could be the biggest worry to me. I cannot speak Spanish, and serving the old might be more difficult than taking care of the children. Besides, this is my first time to go the South America, a mystery continent to me. I am worried about whether I can fulfill the expectation of UBelong and our Alternative Break. But without doubt, I will spare no effort to get involved and do my best! Looking forward to our wonderful trip!"
Day one began at STAMP student union, where we all met to meet our van. We headed to DCA- Reagan International Airport. Our leaders, Caitlyn and Zerina, quickly checked us in and before you knew it we were off to Houston for our quick connection and then on our 8 hour flight to Lima, Peru.
We arrived into Lima, Peru's capital, at around 12:30am, picked up our luggage and headed to our hostel. Our driver shared with us his love for the city of Lima. We looked out of our windows and began to take in this new and beautiful country.
Well it's now 3:00 am, and we have to be up and out of our hostel by 5:30am, to make our flight to Cusco! So with that said good-night and thanks for reading!
AWB 2013 Peru
Written by: Courtnay Oddman
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