Dear Peru

Dear Peru,
Remember when you gave me the first blister I have ever had on my cornea?

Remember when you gave me all those tummy aches?

Remember when that little cute random 80 year old man cheered me on when I was jogging that time? Remember 2 weeks when he creeped me out by saying he thinks of me when he eats and sleeps?

Remember when Abby and I had to hike down Colca canyon for 7 hours, 2 of them being in complete darkness? Remember when we hiked back up the canyon on mules?

Remember when I got bit 220 times by ravenous jungle mosquitoes?

Remember when I got to swim with wild pink dolphins in the Amazon river?

Remember when Abby and I discovered we had a bidet in our bathroom in Buenos Aires?
Why was that so funny?

Remember the first day I spent in Peru, and how surreal that was?

Remember when I first met my host family and how surreal that was?

Remember when I ate la abuela’s food for the first time, and how surreal that was?

Remember all those laughs and conversations I had with Paula in the kitchen about random life things?

Remember when I couldn’t speak Spanish?

Remember back in February when I had no idea what I was getting myself into?

Remember when I had my first churro? Asu!

Remember when I thought that my stay here would never come to an end?

Remember when I felt my first lil’ earthquake?

Remember when I got partnered up with the handsome german exchange student in my dance class? And how much harder that made it dance?

Remember when Kike, the dance instructor, called me ‘pan’ because he found that more amusing than my actually last name? Pancito con quesito…

Remember when I never got robbed?

Remember when the guy on the micro started chucking mints at everyone?

Remember when Abby got bit on the butt by a deer on campus?

Remember all those times when Mateo would sing Johnny Cash at the top of his lungs?

Remember all those jokes that Alejo would make and that I never understood?

Remember all those taxi rides with Erick to the airport talking about all the buenazo food I should eat during my travels?

Remember when I got called bonita or preciosa by random people…every day?

Remember when Alejo always called me Julita, so then I started calling him Pancho?

Remember when Alejo always gave me those weird recipes and food mixtures like jello and manjar blanco? Or Beans and sugar? Or Oatmeal with just salt?

Remember when Paula made gum flavored jello?

Remember when Kika got really excited during the World Cup and started crying after a goal was made?

Remember when Mateo became obsessed with making bread? And he made a different bread a day? Even mango bread?

Remember when it would take Alejo a good 7 seconds to successfully communicate with the person on the other end of the phone after answering said phone? Hola…hOla…HOLA…HOLA!!

Remember how I never died on the micros?

Remember when there was a rooster on the bus we took to Puno, and how it kept caw-cawing?

Remember when Alejo would ALWAYS ask me if I had socks on? And if I didn’t I was bound to resfriarme.

Remember when we went to Paula’s house in Villa Maria? And how we lunched on mango, pizza flavored macaroni, and sopa de choclo y frejoles?

Remember when I ran into that glass window my second day of being in the house?

Remember when Jonatan would always use the phrase "Fat Baby" in his little acento? HA!

Remember when we would always play banana grams after CBU meetings?

Remember when we found out Jonatan and Miki were really good dancers?

Remember when I got bit by that monkey?

Love,
Amelia