Peru Trip 2015 | Tacna: Part One

In honor of my sister finally traveling back to the states in 10 days [!!!] I decided to do a fun series on my trip to Peru.  My family and I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to South America for about 2 weeks at the end of last year. I spoke a little about my time there over Christmas here in this post.

Before I go into all the ins and ours of our trip, you may be wondering; why in the world is your sister in Peru in the first place? I actually get that a lot.  Me a blonde haired blue eyed Counselor in Charlotte who took French in high school because I didn't want to be like everyone else - has a sister who could actually pass as a Peruvian native and is [thankfully] fluent in Spanish.

My sissy has been living in Tacna, Peru for a little over two years now working for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.  She teaches at a school there as well as serves in the community.  The volunteers all live in community, there are 4 girls in the house where she lives, and then each volunteer has a host family.  The host families are their fill in families while they live in the country.  My sister lived with hers for the first month she was there to get acclimated to the country, as well as having weekly  dinners over there, using their wifi, and doing life with that family.

Can I just say I am incredibly proud of my sister for truly being brave and surrendering to God and dedicating her life, or rather the past two years, to service abroad.  While I try to leave each and every day by those ideals and love to travel, I am definitely a homebody. I love being close enough to just show up at my parents house for a meal and conversation.  Everyone serves in their own way.

Because the volunteers are so intertwined with their community that they serve the first half of our trip was spent in Tacna.  We got to explore, visit with families, really get to know the people Em has spent her life with, and best of all eat home cooked meals.

The first days there we were jet lagged and culture shocked.  I didn't really know what to expect from just hearing stories over face time with my sissy.  Tacna is a completely different climate than I am used to - it was summer there for one and two this area is a huge desert!  We got to see my sisters house.  She toured us around her neighborhood, took us to her church and the school she works at.  We checked into our hotel and walked around the city some more. Ending our first day with a lovely meal cooked by Emily's host mom.

Check back soon for more installments in the Peru series!

Falling for Fall

It's that time of year where I just feel inspired.  There is just something about taking long walks in the crisp afternoon with my pup.  The sun hits the trees, vibrant with color, and makes them look like they are glowing.  Stunning. 

Even though this season, technically, is an ending, where the leaves fall and prepare for a long rest to get ready for spring and then their fresh start. To me, fall feels like starting over.  It feels like there is opportunity everywhere to pick up the pieces and create a life truly worth living. 

Life follows along with seasons.  There are changes within me much more frequently than 4 times a year.  Seasons come and go with the changes of the wind. Change, is good.  It's good to hit the reset button, to create new goals, new habits, and to just let go.  When the leaves fall off the trees full of color it's beautiful.  In our souls, sometimes we have to just release what we are holding onto, the relief and the beauty in letting go. 

I love fall for all the obvious reasons too. The fashion: big sweaters, cute boots, and cozy scarfs.  The drinks: hot coffee especially of the pumpkin spice variety.  The holidays: Thanksgiving, decorating and festivities with loved ones. Yet, my favorite reason, is so that I can enjoy some fresh air, take deep breathes, watch the leaves fall, and once again I feel like myself. 

Let's all take a long, slow, mindful walk through the colors and reinvent ourselves this season.