With the Tauber project ending and a whirlwind of activities, the trip still didn’t feel real as my Uber arrived to take me to the Sea-Tac airport. It was as I boarded the Boeing 737, that the excitement of the upcoming trip hit me. From Seattle I flew to Los Angeles, whereI met Jason K, and from there we flew to Lima, where we met Chris. In Lima, Jason, Chris, and I played games and talked until we boarded flight and flew to Cusco. When Chris and I left the airport, we were greeted by a yellow smiley-face flag and an equally smiley driver from Maximo Nivel. As we drove to our host family’s house, we saw Cusco for the first time as we watched the sun rise over the city.
After getting to the house, Chris and I rested as we waited for the others to make their way over. When about half of us were there, we set out to explore the city. First, we went to the main plaza, where there is a blend of ancient, Spanish, and modern architecture. Next, we went to the alpaca store for souvenirs and then to lunch. After coming back, we all napped to recover from our travels. At seven o’clock, we all gathered downstairs for our first family dinner. Our host, Josefina made us a delicious meal, but we learned that she, like many Peruvians, eats a big lunch and doesn’t have a large dinner. After dinner, we all played games until bedtime.
-Yatri Patel
EGL Family Abroad 