The weather changes all the time! I was here during a change in seasons but it can get very cold at night and when the sun comes out in the day it gets warm!

I learned that I must have patience with the new culture and my job . It took me a while to become comfortable with the girls at El Hogar and for them to accept me as their friend.
The Peruvian culture is different from the US and it takes a while to adjust to.

I spoke with Maria Elena, my volunteer coordinator, before leaving for Peru. This was very helpful because she was able to warn me about weather for the particular time of year, get me to start thinking about activities for my jobs ahead of time, and make me feel much more comfortable about traveling alone to a foreign place.

I would also recommend adding in some extra time to travel. There is so much to see in Peru and even with weekend trips it is hard to fit it all in!

Consider bringing some of your own food if you have certain preferences. The peruvian diet is based largely on bread, rice and starches such as potatoes; as well as sugar. Fruit is also quite readily available.

I am immensely grateful for the time that I was able to spend in Cusco. It is a beautiful city surrounded by mountains, close to many other valleys with endless places to visit. My volunteer jobs were challenging but gained an even greater appreciation for offering my help to those who need it and for the intricacies of a foreign culture that I will never entirely understand. Working with the girls at the orphanage has become an invaluable experience where I truly have met some incredible young women full of humor and strength. I came here with an open mind, wanting to help, but knowing that I had to be patient and not expect immediate results. I simply tried to show the people I worked with that I cared, and they in return accepted me. How lucky I am!

I feel this ended up being a perfect volunteer experience for me. However, I expected to arrive with a more structured plan for my work. I would warn volunteers that almost all of the lesson planning and activities are determined by you. The coordinator is there to help you get to know the city and to take you to your jobs. Once you get there you can be quite on your own unless you have another volunteer to work with.

I did not work very much with the staff from the United States, however, my questions were always answered extremely promptly by email and I was very grateful they put me into contact with my host mother when I asked for her email.

I am so incredibly fortunate for having lived with my host mother Maria Elena. She is incredibly knowledgeable about her country, has many of her own connections and friends all over the city and is such a pleasure to spend time with. I didn’t want for anything, the living was clean, spacious and private. The house is in a convenient location slightly outside of the city center. My time outside of my jobs was always busy because we never stopped coming up with things we wanted to do together. Maria Elena was the kindest, funniest,