Amazing Experience in Peru!

What an amazing experience it was travelling and volunteering in Peru through Projects Abroad! The staff members of the organization were truly wonderful and supportive before applying and during the placement, always ready to give advice and answer any questions. This past June, I travelled to Peru for four weeks on the teaching placement. I was both nervous and excited during my travels and once I arrived at my destination; however, the Projects Abroad staff, my host family and the volunteers all made the transition into this new and beautiful culture much easier! It was truly amazing to live with a host family during my stay in the town of Urubamba. They were so welcoming from the day I arrived. I loved learning and speaking a little bit of Spanish with them, while also learning more about the Peruvian culture.
My teaching placement took place in a secondary school in the town of Ollantaytambo. I will always remember the bus ride to the school, seeing the beautiful mountains surrounding the towns we passed through! It was a challenging, but rewarding experience having the opportunity to teach the students conversational English. The moments I will always cherish was seeing the growth in the students’ learning after a lesson and how grateful they were for my help. On my last day, the students in my classes sang songs in their native tongue as a thank you for the time I spent working with them. No matter the duration of your stay, you will always make a difference in the lives of the students you have the opportunity to teach! Having had the opportunity to live in Peru was very different from home, but is an opportunity I am so grateful to have experienced. I loved the feeling of learning about and adapting to a new culture and environment and meeting so many wonderful people from all over the world. During my weekends, I always enjoyed meeting with the other volunteers and travelling to Cusco, and the other towns seeing the many different ruins. The four weeks I was there definitely didn’t feel long enough to see and experience the beauty this country has to offer, so next time I would definitely go for a longer duration. Having had the opportunity to travel to a new country and be a part of a culture so unlike my own was a true blessing and continues to remind me of how lucky we are. I am truly grateful to have had this opportunity and am so happy I chose to experience it through Projects Abroad. Thank you Projects Abroad for the amazing memories!