RTW ’24: Back in Action

After a wonderful reprieve in the US with my family, it was time to get back to the last leg of RTW. To kick off the rest of the trip, I set my sights to Peru! My original flight was cancelled, so I enjoyed an extra two days in Houston with Mike and Brittany. It was bittersweet to say goodbye. I was so glad to see them again after such a long time apart, but I was also excited to restart my RTW journey. Originally, I hadn’t planned a stopover in the US, but it was exactly what I needed to recharge mentally, physically, spiritually… and restocking my toiletries and getting laundry done was an added bonus! Before I departed for the airport from Mike’s, I left a few things behind– summer clothes, snorkel gear, and a few souvenirs. In many ways, the visit reminded me of the days when Mike would come home in-between college semesters. It was truly a role reversal, and reflects my “gap year” experience.

After two fully-booked flights, I finally made it to Peru! It was so nice to plant my feet back on RTW territory. I arrived late in the evening, 10 p.m., and a driver took me to the volunteer house. I met the coordinator, Joe, and then made my way to my room to settle in for the night. My second flight had a lot of turbulence, so it was nice to be on solid ground and get a good night’s rest. On Tuesday, I woke up ready to explore my newest home. I had breakfast with the rest of the volunteers, which gave me plenty of time and opportunity to chat with them. I met Sonja, a social worker from Auckland, NZ visiting Lima on holiday and doing community support. I also met Amelia and Piper, high school students from NJ and MA, respectively. After our meal, we shared an Uber together to head to the shopping center. I found an ATM and a grocery store, Wong, which is very similar to a Target in the US. Afterwards, I went back to the volunteer house to hang out, mingle with the other volunteers, and watch Olympic replays. Getting to know the other volunteers was a lot of fun! All of them are high school or college age, with the exception of one woman in her 30’s. It’s a really good group of people, and I felt comfortable sharing a living space with them. I really like the accommodations– bunk beds and a bath in each room. We have a shared kitchen with tables and chairs to hang out. The house itself is behind two secure gates, which gives me peace of mind in a large city!

On Wednesday, I was able to volunteer my time at a soup kitchen. I wish I knew more Spanish, but I managed to get by! Helping to prep food at the soup kitchen was so much fund, and it felt like a good way to contribute to the village that we visited. It was a 90 minute ride on the public bus to reach the village, Pachacutec, from our volunteer house, but it was well worth it. The village itself is a poor slum outside of Lima. The name of the soup kitchen, Fuente de Vida, translates to “Fountain of Life”. The two main cooks, Gladys and Vivian, gave us tasks to chop onions, cut up frozen whole chickens, assist with dishes and complete final food prep for the meal. They served soup, rice, potatoes and chicken stew with a sweet tea drink. Each meal cost 3 soles (.81 cents, American). Sonja and I had a fun time chopping and chatting. When it came to the frozen chickens, we needed Gladys to show us how it was done. I struggled with the frozen meat, and Sonja, being a vegetarian, struggled with handling the meat, but she put her personal preferences aside and maintained her composure by saying “this is a cultural experience”. After all of our hard prep work, we both enjoyed serving the meals to the patrons when they arrived. It felt more like a restaurant than a charity handout, which is such a thoughtful way to serve the community while giving everyone a sense of pride and dignity. We especially enjoyed serving a mom and her two children, watching them laugh and enjoy a meal together. Many people also ordered take-aways, dropping their plastic containers off for us to fill. Gladys was a whiz at scooping soup into a plastic bag, tying the knot before it reached the top of the bag! It was truly magical to watch! Although Gladys and Vivian probably could have prepared the meal faster without our help, I so appreciated their instruction and patience with us. Spanish music serenaded the kitchen and the aromas of onion, garlic, coriander and chicken took the edge off of the gray and rainy day outside of the building.

I was so excited when I woke up on Thursday morning– it was finally time to volunteer at the school! I woke up and ate an early breakfast, then got on the bus to go to the school. Renzo, the volunteer coordinator, Sonja and I taught 5-6 year olds and 16-17 olds. Renzo, who is studying psychology, is not a trained teacher, but he was a natural with the kids. He called them “chicos” and made up games to keep their attention and make learning fun. Sonja and I partnered well together, taking turns teaching a concept and helping individual children. Renzo introduced the lessons in Spanish, then Sonja and I tagged in to make a really great trio! I enjoyed both age groups equally and found the experience rewarding in different ways. The younger children were so excited, giving out smiles and hugs easily. We played “hangman”– boys against girls– with the older kids. They had to guess fruits and vegetables in English. They were so competitive and had so much enthusiasm! It was a really good day at school. Afterwards, I hopped back on the bus to go back to the volunteer house. The bus ride back was much longer due to traffic, and after two hours, my legs were feeling numb and cramped. I was very relieved that I felt okay again once I started walking when I got off! I had a quick lunch at the volunteer house and then had my first Spanish lesson with Gaby, the lead coordinator at the volunteer house. She was very patient with me as I needed a lot of repetition and couldn’t quite figure out how to roll my r’s. Progress and practice is my mantra! Struggling through my Spanish lesson really helped me appreciate how hard it must be for the children at the school to learn English!

The following day, I spent the morning running errands– laundry, groceries, and checking out the gym. In the afternoon, I took a bus to the Remar refuge to spend time with the kids. My time with the children really warmed my heart. Joe, another volunteer coordinator, went with us. When we arrived, the kids all came up to him with smiles and hugs. We helped a few of the boys and girls with their math homework. I was thankful it was multiplication and not Spanish! After homework, we did some coloring with the smell markers and coloring book pages that I brought with me. Everyone got such a kick out of the smells in the markers and, luckily, the descriptions were in English AND Spanish. After that, we went to the playground a few blocks away from the home. Hand in hand, the three of us took 8 children and 2 balls. We had such a good time playing soccer, going on the swings and playing tag. Before it got dark, we returned to the home and said goodbye until next time.

Over the course of the weekend, I explored my new city. At first, it was a mixture of ups and downs. There was a lot of confusion with the first tour I booked because there were 2 addresses shown as the meeting spot. I received a confirmation message the night before, but no one was waiting at either of the listed places. Once I connected with someone, I found out it was a Spanish speaking tour. So, I pivoted and found another tour on the other side of the city. Traffic in Lima is really bad– it takes a long time via bus or Uber to get anywhere. Once I found the second tour, it was fun and I enjoyed exploring! There are many different cultures in Lima, including Chinese, Italian, Spanish and even Irish. During our tour, we tried a few drinks and chocolates. Pisco Sour, an alcoholic drink made from grapes in various flavors, tastes a little like tequila. We also tried a purple drink from corn, Peruvian Chicha Morada. It was an interesting day exploring the city, but I was glad to get back to my neighborhood in San Miguel. Lima reminds me of NYC. There are many areas to explore, and it takes many visits to discover them all. San Miguel feels like Queens, or Brooklynn– still within the city, but more of a neighborhood where people live. By the end of the weekend, I felt like I lived in San Miguel. I like the routine and the people I’ve been volunteering with. The work gives me a purpose and I really feel like I’m making a difference. There are enough comforts in the house to make it feel like home, and since a lot of the volunteers left over the weekend, I even have a room and bathroom to myself! In a week’s time, I know where the grocery store, laundry, bus stop, select restaurants and markets are. It feels so good!

This week was truly so rewarding. My only struggle was my lack of Spanish speaking, which I’m continuing to work on each day. In the meantime, I was still able to help and contribute in a meaningful way in all of the places that we went. I feel settled into the neighborhood, familiar with where stores are and how to walk in various places. My house is in a residential area, so it feels like I’m not a tourist, which I really like. The volunteer coordinators have been so helpful with things like riding the bus, introducing us to the kids and staff, and each one has made me feel supported and appreciated. I’m also appreciative of the other volunteers staying at the house. Sonja and I are both in the same project, Community support. The other volunteers are in their teens or 20’s, and it’s fun to chat and be around them, but it was also nice when they left over the weekend and it was just Sonja, Emilia (17), Alisha (17) and I. I’m very happy about my first week in South America. Peru has so much to offer! Who knows, I may stay in Peru longer than I planned! Until next time, dear friends: stay safe, stay healthy, and always remember to make space for what brings you joy.

“Just to travel is rather boring,
but to travel with a purpose
is educational and exciting.”
-Sargent Shriver