Hola Estudiantes de GLA!
It has been a few months since you overcame flight delays and came to spend 2 weeks with us at Villa Magica in Peru! Below are some memories that we wanted to highlight from your time with us.
To start, the sickness…oh the sickness. It became a theme of your trip. You all persevered and overcame this obstacle to complete a trek over 14,600 foot passes and finish in Aguas Calientes. The reward was Machu Picchu and oh it was glorious to come to understand this relic from Peruvian culture. If we only knew that Emma throwing up on one of the mentors would be the premonition of days to come.
Scott’s beard….the thing that brought you all together. That and discovering Nature Valley bars in Sophia’s market. Thus the snack train began and kept on chugging forward to fuel your many accomplishments.
Rafting and ziplining was a new thing for many of you. While some of you were anxious about it, it didn’t phase you once you loaded your boat. You all paddled like maniacs, had a blast and overcame some fears and anxieties. Bonus was seeing the giant hummingbirds buzzing about as we floated through the valley beneath the steep snow capped mountains.
The work you all did with the American doctors, Tim, Savannah and the Promise to Peru medical campaign. You were able to connect and help 200 patients! You challenged your pantomime skills by interacting with people who only spoke quechua. The impact you all had was so great and will be remembered by the local people and the skilled professionals running the campaigns. Chris…the pharmacist. I hope to see him behind a counter with a white coat someday realizing his full potential as a pharmacist.
Here’s what a few of you had to say was the highlight of your trip:
“My favorite memory from Peru was when we went white water rafting. I had never been before, and I was a little nervous, but after the first rapid I was in love! The view from the boat was so beautiful! My group wouldn’t settle with anything but first place, so we paddled the whole time, but it was so fun! We did end up winning, just for the record, and it was an amazing experience!”
“This trip was life changing. After working in the communities, I loved seeing how people interacted and lived here in Peru. I loved the days we spent at Ollantaytambo helping the American Doctors in a pop-up health clinic. This was the most eye-opening experience where I had a the most contact with the natives here in Peru. Ultimately, I’m excited to go home but the lessons I’ve learned on this trip from respecting cultures to the importance of Spanish will follow me for the rest of my life.”
Lastly I want to give a shout out to the early morning motivated ladies that braved the hills and mountainsides of lamay to witness the sunrise in the sacred valley. Thank you for your enthusiasm to stay fit!
Thank you for all of the memories and inspiration to keep exploring , asking questions and making a difference in the US and abroad now and in the future.
Adrienne, Scott, Ana and Caitlin, your mentors and friends in Peru!
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