I have been back in the States for almost one month now, and it has been a very long adjustment process. When I first came home, I was busy with moving into my new apartment and getting back into the swing of work. Naturally, having such things to keep my mind occupied, I did not have time to miss Perú, or even think about it much, for that matter. I would talk about it when I saw people, of course, because anything pertaining to Perú was usually the first question off of anyone’s lips when I first came home. However, given that I did not truly have time to sit and reflect on my semester abroad, I often found myself longing to go back, or simply feeling emptiness inside of me. I had lived in another country for four months, yet when people asked me how the trip was, I struggled to come up with answers to summarize my semester. It had been wonderful, amazing, everything I could have dreamed of and more, and the list goes on, but the reality of Perú is that it was my home. I did not go on an extended vacation. I lived and studied there, while also learning about the culture and traveling throughout the country. It is more difficult than one might think, to try to summarize four months of life to another person, and it is incredibly difficult to do so when those four months were abroad. No one can truly appreciate an experience abroad until she herself has ben abroad.
Now that it has been almost one month since my return, I can say that I am very much adjusted back into my normal routine. Do not get me wrong; I am very glad to be back. I missed my friends and family very much during my time abroad. However, I do often, and I think I will continue to often, think about Perú. My time there was unbelievable beyond description. I learned more about the Spanish language and myself than I ever have or could have during a semester at UNK. When I sit and daydream about Perú, I first think of my family. I can still see all of their friendly and inviting faces, surrounding me at the dinner table. I also often daydream about Lake Titicaca. That day that we were able to enjoy a freshly cooked lunch while overlooking the lake will always be engrained in my memory as the most peaceful place I have ever been. While I do not miss little things like paying to use the public restroom and not being able to drink the tap water, my time in Perú will always be a fond memory in my heart. I am blessed to have been able to spend so much time in a beautiful yet struggling country, and I hope to someday return to Perú to visit the place that I once called home.
Now that it has been almost one month since my return, I can say that I am very much adjusted back into my normal routine. Do not get me wrong; I am very glad to be back. I missed my friends and family very much during my time abroad. However, I do often, and I think I will continue to often, think about Perú. My time there was unbelievable beyond description. I learned more about the Spanish language and myself than I ever have or could have during a semester at UNK. When I sit and daydream about Perú, I first think of my family. I can still see all of their friendly and inviting faces, surrounding me at the dinner table. I also often daydream about Lake Titicaca. That day that we were able to enjoy a freshly cooked lunch while overlooking the lake will always be engrained in my memory as the most peaceful place I have ever been. While I do not miss little things like paying to use the public restroom and not being able to drink the tap water, my time in Perú will always be a fond memory in my heart. I am blessed to have been able to spend so much time in a beautiful yet struggling country, and I hope to someday return to Perú to visit the place that I once called home.