A Homestay Experience

Living in the homestays has been a fascinating and fun experience. The homestay families are kind and the activities provide a unique insight into the Peruvian living experience. Our homestay family has been especially sweet, always showing care for us and finding ways to have fun even with the language barrier. On our first day of homestays, we got the opportunity to participate in the Carnival celebration, which involved exciting and wild water and foam fights down the street and into the plaza. Clothes and shoes ended up soaked, but everyone - including us - had plenty of fun in this chaotic first day in homestays.

Families also found plenty to do during stretches of free time. We spent time playing and teaching one another card and board games, as well as taking beautiful scenic walks with the family dog. Within a few days we've built strong and lasting relationships with our families without needing to be fluent in each others' languages, which is truly amazing. Homestays have been a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore an unfamiliar lifestyle that we're almost afraid of leaving behind, and it's just extraordinary to see how quickly a relationship can grow.

By: Sophie Y.