Bienvenidos a Peru

I made it to Peru! I’m here a day late, due to some storms in Atlanta, but I eventually got here in one piece. Despite my anxieties about flying alone, I made it from Kansas City to Atlanta to Lima fairly easily, and thankfully, my suitcase arrived and I made it through customs without a hitch! From there, it was the moment of truth: walking out into the area with taxis and people holding signs, and hoping that I’d find my partner, Katrina, and Wilfredo. Luckily, it didn’t take long for them to flag me down. We hopped in Wilfredo’s car and were at our apartment in no time.  

For the last few weeks, as I dealt with checking out of my apartment, moving back into my parents’ house, and getting all my affairs in order I’ve been continually thinking, ‘Yeah, I’m just ready to be there.’ Now that I have all those small details completed, it’s time to start worrying about what lies ahead of me: primarily, learning Spanish.

I can tell that everyone here is incredibly nice, but I’m struggling to comprehend everything that is being said. The most difficult part is conveying what I’m trying to say to those around me—whether it’s because I don’t know the words in Spanish or because I’m afraid to speak and make a mistake. Either way, today is only my first day and I can’t put too much pressure on myself—the Spanish will come, I just need to continue to work at it. In the mean time, Katrina’s Spanish is a lot better than mine and I’m thankful to have her skills on my side!

Tonight we’re going to a congregation in Monte Cion to attend a class. My partner, Katrina and I are going to introduce ourselves to everyone—so I should probably start practicing what I’m going to say in Spanish now!

Adios,

Melissa