Home!

Well, the last four days have definitely passed in a whirlwind. On Thursday, we traveled to Arequipa where we stayed the night and explored the city. The church there was absolutely beautiful! On Friday, we traveled to Colca Canyon and were able to get some amazing shots of the Andean condors in their natural habitats! On Saturday, we got a city tour of Arequipa including the monastery and famous cathedral of the Plaza de Armas. In the afternoon, we had some free time. For me, the most interesting part was seeing the body of Juanita, a sacrfice to the mountains which they considered to be Gods. The children were chosen from birth to be sacrifices because of their perfect beauty, health, and purity, but they had to go willingly. They then spent the rest of their life in a home chosen for them and were well taken care of. Juanita was at the very top of the mountain, and was therefore very well preserved. She was about 13 years old and was half Peruvian and half Asian. There were three other sacrifices found on the way to Juanita, but since she was at the very top she was the most important part.

Yesterday was a long day full of airplane rides and car travel home, but it was definitely worth it. Dr. Seals took the time to speak to us before we left the airport. I would like my final project to be something that I can use in my children's classroom and possibly involve a children's book. If you have any ideas for this, please let me know. He also told us to do some introspection and decide what this trip meant to us. The whole fact that I even went to Peru is still sinking in, but I know that I gained so much from the experience. I was able to get past a lot of personal barriers and realize a lot about communication. I also learned how lucky I am to have the opportunities that I have in America.

This has definitely been a life-changing experience and I'm so grateful that I was able to go on this trip and learn so many things! Thank you to everyone who supported me, including my family, friends, and CRL. I really appreciate all of the effort into making sure this trip was worthwhile. I love you and hope you have enjoyed this blog!

Love always,
Chels :)