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My Peruvian adventure began with a three-hour drive from Knoxville to Atlanta. More specifically, to Atlanta International Airport. That is where I began to get to know my fellow UT travelers. From Atlanta, it was just a six-hour flight to Lima, Peru. For my second time in an aircraft and my first time flying internationally, it was quite comfortable. Free earbuds, blanket, pillow, and even a complimentary meal and snacks! Now, arriving in Lima was my first taste of Peru and it was pretty much like home, except for the Spanish, of course. From Lima we flew an hour to Cuzco and the view was spectacular.

I met quite a few interesting people, all of whom were very nice! On the flight to Cuzco, I was second over from the window seat, so I ended up leaning over the Peruvian kid next to me to take pictures. In the same flight, I made friends with the Peruvian kid I was leaning over, the Brazilian man on my other side, and even the Australian girl across the aisle. We all talked about where we came from and why we were headed to Cuzco. The Brazilian guy even recognized my Big Orange Power T hat and knew I was from Tennessee. How amazing! It turned out he was a fan of American football, and he really liked the Tennessee Titans. Everyone in Cuzco was friendly for the most part. A few locals even gave us a little nickname “Gringos.” “Uno gringo, dos gringo, tres, quatro, gringos en todos lados.” I overheard two middle aged Peruvian men saying. It was a little odd to be in the minority to be honest, but fun nonetheless.

When everyone around you speaks Spanish, you begin to understand it pretty quickly. The first few things I learned to say where “No quiero” and “Quanto es.” Meaning “I don’t want it,” and “How much is it.” Two very important phrases for any tourist in Peru! Speaking of “no quiero,” I quickly learned in our first venture into “la Plaza de Armas” that the street vendors can be very persistent and quick to take advantage of the uninformed. At one point I even bought a trinket to get a woman to stop following me, but once I learned to say “no quiero” it stopped them in their tracks.

At the job site of our service project, the atmosphere was different compared to the touristy feel of Cuzco, to say the least. It was a small town fixed in between a couple of mountains and everything there seemed to be made of adobe. Which is what we used to make the stoves. Adobe bricks, mud or “barro” in Spanish, and some clay are the main ingredients of a simple, yet effective stove. I got to try new foods that one woman was growing in her garden. The people we helped kept guinea pigs running free in their kitchen, which was quite the sight; they would squeak when someone picked up hay for the stove. They thought they were going to get a snack, but nope, just a new stove.

All in all, it was the greatest international experience I’ve ever had! I got to meet new people and practice my Spanish. I’ve come out of it with a different perspective on how the other half live and a new found appreciation for it.