SIT Peru: Indigenous Peoples and Globalization

I studied abroad in Peru through the SIT Study Abroad program in Spring 2018 and it was definitely the highlight of my undergraduate experience! The program is based in Cuzco, so a good amount of my time was spent there. However, I was able to visit so many different parts of the country. For example, I visited the Sacred Valley, where I hiked Machu Picchu; the Peruvian Amazon, where I got to travel through the Amazonia; Lake Titicaca and Puno, where I lived with an indigenous family, and lastly; Arequipa and Colca Canyon, where I got to relax but continue to explore another amazing region. Besides the excursions, traveling to Peru through SIT allowed me to immerse myself in the culture by living with a Peruvian host family in Cuzco and again with an indigenous Peruvian family where I was able to practice my Spanish and even learn another language: Quechua: the language of the Inca empire. And to top it all off, I was able to travel independently as I conducted field research and developed my very own independent study project. Specifically, I was able to choose a topic that I was personally and academically interested in, travel to a region where my topic was relevant, live in such area, interact and investigate that community and then produce a piece of writing that illustrated my findings. It was quite intense but it was definitely a one-of-a-kind experience that allowed me to continue learning about various aspects of the Peruvian culture. I would say the program has a strong anthropologic basis. However, if you are interested in learning about cultures, globalization, the environment, religion, and anything related to such, studying abroad in Peru through SIT will allow you to learn and experience each and everyone of these focuses in multiple facets. Ultimately, if you would like to be in a country and with a program that allows you to be in the city but also the country- side, learn inside and outside the classroom, and most importantly, allow you to learn about a different world while also learning about yourself, SIT Peru is the program for you!