Farewell to my Cusco

I leave on Monday. I´m not sure how I feel about it. To sort out my feelings I decided to make two lists.

Things that I will miss in Cusco:

• The people! My family: They are truly wonderful people, especially my hermanita that always begs me to play with her and show her all my pictures. My friends: My friends at church are incredibly strong and always seem to be happy and cheerful. Also, my friends from the program and the clinic. We have been on so many adventures together that I don´t think I will ever forget them. The nurses also became some of my favorite people here. We would talk for hours about Peru or the U.S. None of them let me leave without a big hug and a picture. In general, the people in Peru are kind, generous, and lively. They know how to have a good time and how to care for one another. They know how to love and they understand how important your family really is. The people were my favorite part.
• The food: I will definitely miss my sweets here. Things like Alfajores and Tres Leches always made my day. Also, Rocoto Relleno became one of my favorite Peruvian dishes.
• The combis: I know that sounds funny, but I will definitely miss the adventure of taking a combi everday. You never know what´s going to happen when you get into a combi.
• The volunteer work: I was lucky enough to see 12 births! I will so miss the miracles that I got to experience. If all goes as planned, hopefully it will become part of my daily life.
• The random things you see here: Examples: The uses of toilet paper can range from anything like a defroster for your car to blowing your nose.
• Being able to see wonders of the world like Machu Picchu or other beautiful sights

Things that I´m excited for in the U.S.:

• Seeing my family and friends!
• Flushing my toilet paper down the toilet. I´m more excited for this than you can probably imagine. I think I´m going to celebrate the first time I use my bathroom. 
• A shower that is always hot
• Water that won´t suddenly run out for the day
• Heating and Air Conditioning
• In-N-Out
• BYU sports!
• Exercising: It´s not so great to go running here. The pollution is really bad and the drivers are worse. I think it´s more healthy for me not to go for a run.
• The beach, need I say more :)
• Cooking my own meals, especially curry or pad thai

So you see, I´m kind of in a tight spot because it´s going to be really bittersweet. I will always miss my Peruanos. I now consider myself a Peruana even though I don´t quite look like one. I think I will always be one at heart. My experience here has been truly unforgettable. If you want to know how to live a wonderful, lovely life, come to Peru! They will certainly teach you what it means to really live. I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to have this experience. I will always look back on it as one of the best times in my life.