American Food!

A couple Sundays ago, I was really bored, so I decided I would cook lunch for my host family (here in Peru, lunch is the main meal, not dinner). I started the day by going to the grocery store, where I found everything that I needed!! I was so happy that they had everything, including Ranch dressing (which was a BIG hit with the host family).

I made a fresh salad with vegetables and Ranch, garlic bread and home style Mac n Cheese. My host family LOVED it!! They told me they want me to be the new chef of the household. I was so happy that it turned out well and that they liked it, because I had never made homemade Mac n Cheese before, or garlic bread with actual garlic (Usually I just put garlic salt... Much easier).

This past week, I taught my sister to make some good traditional chocolate chip cookies, which were also a big hit. They were so amazed by the fact that I could make cookies so similar to ''Chip's Ahoy''.

They've been bragging to our extended family about the meal I cooked and the cookies ever since. I can't wait to cook for them again. I'm thinking we'll make BLT sandwiches some day soon :)

El Primer Viaje!

Arequipa, Peru

Chivay, Peru

View out my window while driving through the Andes!

Arica, Chile

After a week, I am FINALLY getting around to blogging about my first trip. It was such a blast. I saw some of the most beautiful and insane things I've ever seen in my life. The entire 10 days felt like a dream...

We started the trip by driving to Arequipa, which is a beautiful city in the south of Peru. There we met up with some other exchange students; it was such a blast. We spent one night in the center of Arequipa, and danced with a Mariachi band that was playing in the plaza. We attracted a big crowd, and by the end of the night we had everyone dancing!

After a couple days in Arequipa, we drove to Chivay to visit Colca Canyon. In my opinion, this was the most beautiful part of the trip. Driving through the Andes Mountains was such a new and crazy experience for me. Just looking out the window and seeing the pure beauty that surrounded us... It was unreal. Colca Canyon was also INCREDIBLE. It is more than twice and deep as the Grand Canyon. Being there gave me a feeling unlike anything I've ever felt before.. I don't even know how to explain it, other than an incredible high. Just feeling so alive and free.. It was really amazing.

After Chivay we drove further south to Tacna, and then to Arica, Chile. Both of those places were also very fun. I loved going into Chile! Arica was really beautiful. We did a lot of tours there, but we also had a decent amount of free time, in which we convinced a group of Chilean kids at Mcdonald's that my American friend Kate is from France and doesn't speak a word of Spanish. She just kept throwing out random words like ¨Bounjour!¨ and ¨Baguette!¨ and when she wanted to sound really legit, she would just make up some random gibberish sentence that sounded French. They totally bought it. It was hilarious, we could not stop laughing.

I've always known how lucky I am to be having such amazing experiences, but during this trip I really felt it. How many people EVER have the chance to see things like that? I am only 16 years old.. My life is just beginning, and I am already having experiences like this. I am so blessed and fortunate to be where I am, doing these amazing things.