So Many Places

I have left my heart in so many places. 

I haven't quite wrapped my mind around it, but it's time to say goodbye to this semester, to all of the amazing people I've come to know and love, and to this crazy beautiful, diverse, troubled, and wonderful place that is Peru. I will miss it all. And yet, I am so excited to return home, to see my family, friends, and fiance, and to prepare for whatever new adventure life throws for me. 

This has, without a doubt, been the semester of a lifetime: 

I watched the sun set over the ocean.

I settled into a new house and university.

I played in magical fountains.

I swam in the Pacific.

I saw sea lions and penguins at the Islas Palominos.

I went sandboarding and dune-buggy riding in the desert and watched the most beautiful sunset.

I flew over the Nazca Lines.

I saw mummies. 

I visited the oldest civilization in the Americas. 

I celebrated Semana Santa with festivals, bull pulls, and enormous candle-lit floats.

I was proposed to in the most magical spot in the world. 

I visited ruins in the heart of the city.

I traveled to Machu Picchu and hiked this mountain.

I ventured off the beaten path and had my breath taken away.

I volunteered in a city built on a sand dune and met some of the strongest people I know.

                                                 

I wandered into the jungle and spent a week learning and volunteering.

I celebrated my 20th birthday.

I made it back to the jungle where I saw river dolphins, held a sloth, and swam in the Amazon.

I learned about Afro-Peruvian culture in El Carmen.

I celebrated Inti Raymi in Incan ruins.

I flew over Lima as a goodbye.

I traveled to Cieneguilla and went horseback riding.

I visited the girls' shelter in Cusco one last time.

I toured Cusco on my own for a day.

I visited a yacht club in Chorrillos with my host family.

And I said goodbye to some of the best friends I've ever had! 

*Apologies. This post was written months ago and I never got around to posting it*