I'm sorry I'm so bad at blogging! The days are busy and the internet spotty. Tomorrow marks the beginning of my last week. I can't believe how quickly the time has passed. Things I won't miss about Peru: cold showers, creepy men whispering "Hello, mi amor" in my ear, and potatoes. Things I will miss about Peru: everything else.

I feel like I really hit my stride about 3 weeks ago and I'm already leaving. During this last week it will pretty much be business as normal, teaching during the week and just spending the weekend in Urubamba with the friends and family I'm soon leaving. I have to be honest, I never thought I would want to stay so badly; currently looking for ways I could swing spending a year or two here after college.

Good wishes to everyone at home, hope all is well

Election results, pictures

Ollanta has won the new presidency; there really hasn't been too huge of a reaction, just a few small rally-type things. There are plenty of military and police officers patrolling the streets though, to maintain the peace maybe? I'm not sure, but it definitely doesn't seem necessary. A lot of my friends/family here that voted for him did so just because they thought he was the better of two bad options. Probably who I would have voted for, too. It will be interesting to see if all his promises come through (doubt it).

Had a great day today; hiking a little bit, hanging out with my host brother and then with one of my students and her cousin, big festival in Urubamba coming up this weekend, hiking to Macchu Picchu the week after...life's good. Can't believe it's been almost 4 weeks

Throwing up some pictures, credits to David Chou

Primary mode of transportation (besides walking) - Moto

Some pictures of the market

Hike to the Chicón glacier (15000 ft) - Super hard but worth it

A local told us it has receded 100m in the past 50 years. Also we have had rain twice since I've been here, which is almost unheard of during the dry season. Climate changes are a lot more obvious and intense here - especially when it comes to melting glaciers, because the glaciers determine the water flow that the locals depend on. 

 

The school where I teach

"Suffering is not enough. Life is both dreadful and wonderful...How can I smile when I am filled with so much sorrow? It is natural--you need to smile to your sorrow because you are more than your sorrow." 
— Thich Nhat Hanh

Each day here comes with challenges. I don't often blog about the struggles, but I assure you they exist. Sometimes I feel like I'm pushed beyond what I can handle and sometimes the things I see make me feel like nothing I do here could ever really mean anything. Defeat is a feeling that I can't admit I am very accustomed to, and its only exacerbated by the fact that I'm seeing just one town, in one country, in one part of the world. It's hard; it's really hard.

But what I'm coming to realize is that there is enough sad in the world already. When confronted with a depressing reality, sometimes we purposefully try not to react to things that would normally make us laugh or smile, almost as if to prove (to who? ourselves?) that the situation deserves it. Why? Why should we ever let something positive concede defeat to something negative when it doesn't have to?

There have been lows here, where I have felt alone, insignificant, frustrated...but there have also been highs. "Life is both dreadful and wonderful" - I love that. Let yourself feel the hard stuff, but don't ever keep yourself from feeling the good stuff. Feel for the people who are less fortunate than you, but laugh with them, too.

Appreciate everything you have, guys.

Besos