Yesterday we had a free day :) Finally, a nice little break from our long days of orientation. Don't get me wrong, it's helpful but it was just great to have a day to not have a schedule here, to just have a normal day to start to get more relaxed/acquainted with living here. I slept in until 10 (a rare occasion for me.. but it's exhausting to get used to a new home in a foreign country) and I basically lounged around all day and had lunch with my mom until later in the afternoon when I met two friends, Jessa and Elise, to walk around the city and shop and grab a bite to eat. We went to Larcomar for fresh smoothies. Larcomar is a big outdoor mall right on the cliff of the pacific ocean, it's really beautiful but also really touristy. As much as I am ashamed to say this though, it's one of my favorite places here so far. I still have a lot of exploring to do. After Larcomar we went to relax in Parque Kennedy and then for churros and cafe con leche in a restaurant that we seem to go to a lot. Then we went to an open-air market.. I didn't buy anything more than a little ring all day (which only cost the equivalent of $2.. because EVERYTHING is cheaper here!!!) Then, at home my host brother was teaching Oriana and I how to dance the salsa and merengue.. this was a lot of fun because eventually my host mom joined in and we were all dancing in the hallway with beautiful peruvian music! so much fun :) So far it's been the simple pleasures of living abroad that I have enjoyed most..... which leads me to the conclusion that it's better to stay with people from the country you are visiting because there's more charm and a unique perspective.. even thinking back to my trip in europe I always tell the story of the night we stayed on an island in a little shack with a guy we met from holland because it was a better experience for me than visiting the eiffel tower or the colleseum. Anyways, my latin dancing needs a lot of practice!!! But it's definitely a lot of fun! and the music is beautiful.. as soon as I figure out my favorite artists here I'm going to post them on my blog for everyone to check out.

Today... was very testing. First, we went to PUCP by combi which is ALWAYS an adventure... that's my least favorite part about Lima-- the WORST public transportation in the worldddddd. Imagine riding in an old cruddy van, packed in like sardines for an hour. It reeks of gasoline, you can't trust anyone else on the combi when you're a gringa (they want to overcharge you and steal your valuables) and it's like riding the whip... because traffic and driving laws here are INSANE.. like anyone who is reading this probably wouldn't believe how horrible the traffic and driving is here unless you have been here... it's like being on a rollercoaster.. I should take a video for you all to feel my pain :) Two hours of headaching chaos everyday to go to school.

We finally got to PUCP for orientation with the university.. which was NOTHING. 30 minutes of things I'd already figured out (for the most part). Afterward we came back to miraflores for lunch... I think i've decided to become a vegetarian (other than the meals we eat at home) because I don't know how I felt about some of the meat I've seen around this city... my lunch was good though. I paid the equivalent of $4 for a full meal (veggies, chicken, rice, potatoes and beer). Then we had another spanish class.... SO LONG.

Also, it's FREEZINGGGGGGGGG in Lima.. I thought I wouldn't be this cold coming from PA winters but it's a humid cold here... i definitely should've packed my peacoat, gloves and boots.. and more long sleeves. I'm looking forward to spring at the end of September already (yesss, Spring).

It sounds like I'm complaining a lot right now, but in reality I'm very happy. I think I'm ready for school to start and hopefully to make Peruvian friends and get more into a routine because what we're doing now is just becoming used to being abroad surrounded by spanish.

I am amazeddddd at how easily I'm able to get by here. Of course I say, "what?" a lot because with slang and accents and fast conversations it can be difficult to keep up, but I'm absorbing and understanding a lot more after just one week. I'm confident that I'll be fine and fluent by December :) which makes me so excited.. even when I'm writing in here I feel like my english grammar is going to get worse because it's hard to think in spanish all day and then transition to english. i'm so excited to get to the point where i can freely express myself and actually have a personality in spanish though. that's one thing i never thought of before coming, it's difficult to have a personality in spanish sometimes.. I can only say so much and i'm starting to learn their sarcasm, etc.

Also, tonight my host-bro has his friends over.. I didn't think I was attracted to peruvians until tonight.... holy moly, Juan Miguel!!! and he goes to PUCP too. (tall, dark, handsome, looks like he has some european blood in him lol) They're all so friendly here, I'm hoping it'll be easy to make friends despite the language barrier, but meeting him made me think it won't be too difficult, he seemed welcoming enough, hopefully I'll see him around campus, too. I also think, now, that i wouldnt mind having a peruvian fling.. someone to get to know in spanish. hey, it's a good way to get to know a language and a city, right!?!?!? I'm not looking but I'm not obliged..

Tomorrow = morning with our peruvian patas (friends), lunch in Barranco (a bohemian neighbortown) and another spanish class... I think I'm going shopping afterward to look for more long sleeves too, because I'm running out of warm clothes!!!!!! Also, I have to wash my clothes at a dry-cleaners.. So laundry here is a rare occasion.. yikes!



me = :)