Day 1 (05/20/2025):

Today I finally arrived in Hualcayán, Peru. The views and weather are breathtaking, and the village feels so full of life. I spent time playing volleyball, watching fútbol with locals, and we ended the night with a warm soup and toasted corn kernels. Tomorrow we begin classes, and I’m excited to see what’s ahead.

Day 2 (05/21/2025):

This morning we went on a Spanish hike and began learning Quechua words like selca for nose and kuchie for pig. I also met Mayra and Jonathan’s children, Lillyana, who is fourteen, Saieed, who is nine, and little Nico, who is just two years old. In clinic prep we practiced body parts, and I learned that in Peru, torta means cake instead of sandwich.

Day 3 (05/22/2025):

I played volleyball with archaeologists and later fútbol with the kids. Roberta, a local woman, shared with me about her knee pain, cholesterol medicine, and blood pressure struggles, mixing Spanish with Quechua as she spoke. Jayson and his brother played fútbol with me and proudly told me they loved Ronaldo but not Messi. Nico and I played hide-and-seek, and he made me laugh pretending to be a cow. Tonight the sheep outside the house won’t stop “baa-ing,” and I’m just hoping for sleep.

Day 4 (05/23/2025):

Today I walked with the kids and taught them colors in English. We tried two new fruits, one tasted like a sour passionfruit, and another looked like grass but surprised us with a lemony flavor when chewed. Laundry took forever and left my back sore, but we passed the time with volleyball. I helped cook dinner, shredding chicken and chopping potatoes, and we made a comforting soup with rice. Before bed, I studied anatomy, only to discover a beetle crawling in my sleeping bag.

Day 5 (05/24/2025):

I experienced my first clinic day today. We saw a man with nerve pain, possibly sciatica, and a young boy with a fever. On a house visit, we met a man with what seemed like a sinus infection and reassured him it would pass. In the afternoon, we hiked to ruins and came across human bones, which was both surreal and humbling. At the market, I bought a mango, and later I played games with the children, including Juguemos en el Bosque, before teaching them volleyball.

Day 6 (05/25/2025):

Breakfast was an omelette, and later I had the chance to see a mummy and ancient artifacts, which felt like stepping back in time. I spent part of the day teaching the kids how to greet people in English and then joined a group discussion on our book. I also practiced Spanish verb tenses, which stretched my brain. The day closed with football and volleyball matches with the kids.

Day 7 (05/26/2025):

We visited the posta today, the local clinic that serves as the healthcare base for five towns. Only nine staff members handle almost everything, from preventative care and vaccinations to assisting the doctor with the most complex cases. I watched a nurse remove sutures from a woman who had a C-section just eight days ago. They even have a dental chair but no dentist yet. Later in the evening, I played volleyball with Milde and then packed for our trek.

Day 8 (05/27/2025):

We started our trek at 7:30 in the morning and climbed 6 miles up the mountain, gaining 4,000 feet of elevation in about five hours. By the time we set up our tents it was raining, and the ground was littered with animal droppings. My sleeping pad didn’t fit in the tent, so tonight I’ll just have to improvise.

Day 9 (05/28/2025):

After three more hours of hiking we reached the lagoon at 15,200 feet. The trail was rough, but the view at the top was worth it. We swam in the freezing water, which was both painful and exhilarating. It’s incredibly cold and windy here, and I even tried to sleep outside in the twenty-degree weather, but the rain forced me back into the tent. We ended the night laughing and playing cards.

Day 10 (05/29/2025):

We hiked all the way down the mountain today in about five hours, sliding down steep shortcuts and almost crashing into rocks at times. Somehow we made it back before the burros carrying our supplies. My feet are blistered, but I managed to get laundry done. In the evening I tried Peruvian Coke and chips for the first time, and we ate lomo saltado with rice and green beans instead of fries.

Day 11 (05/30/2025):

Today we focused on Andean archaeology and medicine, including the use of psychoactive plants in history. It was a fascinating day of learning, and of course, I rounded it out with more volleyball.

Day 12 (05/31/2025):

This morning I felt sick and had to miss clinic, but in the afternoon I joined in a potato harvest. Watching two bulls pull a plow to loosen the soil and then gathering the potatoes by hand was an incredible experience.

Day 13 (06/01/2025):

We learned about textiles today and spent a lot of time studying for our exam. I reviewed verbs like poner, tener, ser, and estar, trying to lock them into memory.

Day 14 (06/02/2025):

I finished my exam today, which was a relief. To celebrate, I played volleyball and then relaxed by watching The Emperor’s New Groove. In the evening, I shared my story about camping in the tent with Jonathan and Mayra, and they laughed so much.

Day 15 (06/03/2025):

During our final debrief, we talked about quality of life. In Peru, family and community are central, while in the US, people often value rest and vacation time more. It reminded me that happiness can be found in different ways in different cultures.

Day 16 (06/04/2025):

This morning Nico helped me pack, and we said our goodbyes before heading to Caraz Hospital. The hospital sees around twenty to thirty patients a day and performs surgeries like appendectomies and hernia repairs, but more complex cases must go elsewhere. They deliver three to four babies each day and provide housing for expectant mothers who travel from far away. Hearing about their struggles during COVID, when they had to ration oxygen and decide who lived and died, was heartbreaking. The hospital is full of statues of saints and Mary watching over the patients, which gave the whole place a unique sense of hope and faith.