Hello Readers! 

At the moment, we are sitting in the airport waiting for our flight to Dallas. It was really hard to say goodbye to our host families, but we are excited to return home. It has been a while since our post so we will fill you in with some of the stuff we have been doing! This weekend we took an excursion to see “Señor de Sipan”. This was a museum that contained tombs and artifacts from the time of the Moches. It was fascinating to learn about their life and rituals. Unfortunately, the museum did not allow any photography so we don’t have any pictures to share with you.

Later in the afternoon, we went to the beach on the way home. The sand was warm and the water was cool. A very relaxing and fun way to end the day. We definitely enjoyed it more knowing we will soon have to return to a cold midwest winter. Overall, the day was exhausting but extremely enjoyable and worth it. A good mix of learning and relaxing.

A Little About Our Families

Having said goodbye to our families, we thought it would be nice to share some experiences with them. All of us really enjoyed our time with our families and the memories they gave us. On Friday I made an Italian dinner for my family complete with pasta, chicken, and vegetables. They seemed to really enjoy learning about what I eat in my home and about my Italian mother. Family dinners and home cooking is something really valued here. My host mother loves feeding me and always wants me to be full. It seems that food is a way to share care and hospitality towards one another. When I cooked dinner for my family, there were very gracious and thankful for what I had done.

Others really enjoyed their time with their host families too. A couple of days ago Molly was a little sick. Although this was a crummy thing to have to deal with abroad, it turned out to be a notable experience with her host mom: 

“This trip has taught me so much! One thing I am most grateful for is my host family! A few days ago, I was one of the lucky travelers to get sick! Everyone knows that being sick away from your house (and your mom) stinks! Let alone being sick and trying to explain yourself in a different language. My host mom continued to shower me with hugs all day. She doesn't know any English and I tried my best to explain to her what was going on, and in return, she would greet me with a huge smile and a hug. It was exactly what I needed. Some motherly love. The Peruvian culture is so very caring and it's shows in more ways than one!”

Gabriela also had a wonderful time with her host family. She shares her experiences of finding a common liking with her host sister:

“Life with my host family is really simple, but it makes me appreciate the small things. The best moments are when we have little moments of connection, especially when we had to work a little to understand what was being said, or when we just laugh together. My host sister and I spent twenty minutes one night talking about the TV show Friends, and that will honestly be one of my fondest memories of spending time with my host family.  Not only were we talking about something that I really enjoy, but we were making each other laugh. Now that we're past the basic get-to-know-you phase, we're able to just be silly together, and I love that.”

These stories are just a small example of the experiences we have had with our families. We are so excited to return the US with the rest of them. In terms of our trip back, this is the plan:

Plane from Trujillo to Lima

Depart from Lima to Dallas-Fort Worth

Arrive in Dallas-Fort Worth

Depart Dallas-Fort Wroth for Minneapolis

Arrive in Minneapolis at

The next time you hear from us we will be back in the United States. We have had such a wonderful time Peru and are excited to share more of our stories with you.

See you all soon!

Will Simonson and Kjerstin Nelson

Update: We have arried in Dallas and are waiting for our next flight