Video produced/edited by Malinda.
Hello everyone! Join me for our final blog…
Today was simple and sweet, yet we were all trapped in our thoughts. "It's actually the last day." We woke up bright and early on our own, which was unusual since most of us usually slept in heavily. We all got ready, packed up, and headed for breakfast. As always, the breakfast was elite. The lodge provided us with yogurt, egg omelets, sausages, starfish, plantains (exotic bananas), fresh watermelon, and more.
We all talked and laughed about what happened last night. Let me give you a quick summary: Jami found an odd-looking huge frog inside our lodge. The eyes were big and black, and the legs were LONG. We all scattered and decided to be extra cautious since it could be poisonous. Our attempts to wake Sean severely failed since he slept through our LOUD bangs. The frog jumped a few times, and we screamed and laughed continuously for a while. Imagine a bunch of teenagers in the middle of the night jumping around and screaming at a frog. Yes, it was chaotic. We accidentally woke everyone, and a few workers came in to take care of it. We all went to bed sweating so much since there was no air condition.
Anyway, we finished breakfast and left to go fishing soon after. We hopped on our boat and went fishing for about two hours. Some of us had good luck with catches, while others didn't, but we all had so much fun. We went back to eat lunch and got to eat some of the fish we caught, which was super cool.
We quickly grabbed our bags and headed to the airport. We had three flights to catch. Our first flight was from Iquitos to Lima, our second flight was from Lima to Panama City, and our final flight was from Panama to Austin. Our time in the airplane and airports added up to around 22 hours! Once we landed, it finally settled in: Our trip was officially over. We were all already missing Peru, but the sight of our families' excitement filled that hole.
We explored everything Peru had for us: Lake Titicaca, the Amazon River, Amazonian Jungles, beaches and cities of Lima, the diverse cultures of Cusco, the Rainbow/ Andes mountains, and so much more. We learned so much and built a strong bond with each other as we went through this journey together. All of our barriers were broken through together as a bonded team.
Peru also taught us important lessons and morals that grew us as individuals. We grew to better understand diverse communities, learn real-world lessons, and truly appreciate what we are provided with. Overall, the entire trip was not only a great, long-lasting memory; it was an individual growth trip that each of us needed in our own ways.
We all also got to experience true happiness in a positive environment. The places we were able to reach gave us a new perspective on things we would have never been able to see in the classroom. The freedom we all felt being in a place where our inner child has always wanted to be was not only a gift but a way to truly express ourselves in ways we couldn't imagine.
We all thank Peru and the international studies program for embracing us and helping us become better selves while exploring and learning so much. This trip has been put in my top favorite memories, and I will forever remember that. Everything about this trip made it perfect, even the imperfections. From the diverse community in Lima to the green mountains of Machu Picchu, this trip was one heck of an adventure.
-Melanie