I have always loved the idea of traveling; seeing new places and experiencing cultures. I began in countries that wouldn’t be considered luxurious locations; I went out, typically with a school group, on a mission trip. My greatest disappointment during these trips was that I wasn't always able to see much of the country, but at least I was traveling!
A few years back, I decided I wanted to spend more time abroad; so I became a student missionary and spent eight months in Pucallpa, the largest eastern city of Peru. At the time, I had only been to two countries: Venezuela and Honduras.
I lived in a building, with wooden bunks, very thin mattresses, and a metal roof that when it rained, a person could shout in your face and you still wouldn't hear them!
A view of the compound in Pucallpa, Peru. For reference, I lived in the building on the right.
The days were hot, the showers were freezing cold, and if the rain poured hard enough, it would flood the floors. Imagine living without the comfort of what you think is normal to have, and you'll understand a small piece of what it's like to live in a third-world country.
The Orphanage
Pucallpa, Peru
When I left for Peru, I wasn't just going for the experience; I was running away from life problems and running away didn't solve them. But while I didn't go for the right reasons, I did gain world experience that helped cement my cultural views.
Machu Picchu
Aguas Calientas, Peru
I spent most of my days as an ESL teacher, a clinic worker, an orphanage worker, and visiting the prison on my days off.
The moments that made my experience worth it were the smiling faces, the life lessons, the moments of self-discovery and service; I got to experience something out of my typical world and change the way I think about everyday items.
I got the chance to explore beyond my Peruvian city of Pucallpa to Lima, Ica, Paracas, Cusco, Machu Picchu, Arequipa, and across the border to Arica, Chile. Through the two weeks of travel I experienced the different cultures (and climates) within Peru.
The difficult part of traveling with a strict school group is that you often don't get to see or do things that you want to do; It was my first time having a sense of freedom in traveling and it was an amazing feeling that I wasn't going to shake.
A year after I returned from Peru, I felt the itch to travel again. I had gotten a good taste of what it was like and I needed to see other countries; so I joined a mission group from my university and took off for the Middle East. Egypt had always been on my places to go and I jumped at the chance to go.
My favorite part of traveling is seeing every part of beauty the world has; Machu Picchu, La Cattedrale, and the Pyramids of Giza are only the beginning of what I will see.
La Cattedrale, Limite Reserva Nacional De Paracas
Paracas, Peru
Cairo, Egypt
As an empathetic person; it makes me incapable of hatred for something solely based on a culture or stigmatism, and I don't understand those who do. I have a love of culture, a love of those who are different from me, and seeing the beauty in everything and everyone; nothing can change that.
