CIS Abroad - Summer in Peru

Honestly, every day in Peru there was a reason to smile and be ready for the day. I woke up at 8 AM every morning (very early for me) and never once had a complaint. Each morning I looked forward to my walk, grabbing fruit from a local market, or grabbing a drink with friends while watching the soccer games. CIS allowed me to make my study abroad my own, but made sure I was safe throughout. I never once was afraid for my safety while abroad, admittedly I had a small panic attack when arriving to Lima, Peru after not sleeping for 20 hours and arriving in a different country by myself for the first time ever, but after getting some food and water, I calmed down and realized that I could do it. That moment was when I started my own personal change, I hit the reset button on everything I knew in the United States and embraced everything that was coming my way, and that was the greatest decision I could have made. Study in Peru, end of story. It turned into the best time of my life.

I had an awesome time studying in Cusco for 5 weeks. I received all the support which I needed. I especially appreciated the easy and free access to medical services, although I was blessed to not have to use them.
I want students to know that staying with a host family is totally the way to go, unless partying all night is your thing. My classmates who stayed in the hotel did not have the same kind of immersive experience as I did, and I dont think they felt as welcome in Cusco. They also ended up spending A LOT more money on food. Staying with a host family is awesome because you get to talk to them every day, have them there to support you, and you get to try all the different kinds of food that they make.

All of the students in my program are confused about what is going to happen and when. It is very hard to plan our own excursions when we don’t even know when the program excursions are. Communication needs to be a higher priority. I have a lot of fun though and would definitely come back. The housing situation is a little stressful too because when we first arrived I was one of 9 international students in the house. It is very impersonal.