Last Trip

Our final Rotary trip of the year took place at the end of May. It started in Lunahuana, a beautiful city in the mountains. All 39 exchange students in Lima threw some clothes into our bags and met at the bus station for the last time. We started the trip by going to the annual Rotary district conference in Lunahuana where we met Rotarians from all around Peru, received awards from the governor of Rotary, put on a group performance of a classic Peruvian song and ate delicious food. After our night at the conference we headed to Ica, a city further south. It was my 3rd time in Ica but I still enjoyed it like it was the first time. We spent a few days there touring vineyards, seeing historical sights and sand boarding. The evening we spent in the sand dunes was incredible. Although it was my 3rd time in the dunes, the incredible feeling it gives you was still there. Being on the top of a huge sand dune with my best friends in the whole world.... It was amazing. Everywhere you look, all you see is more sand. The sun set while we were up there and the sky turned a beautiful shade of orange. We were all running around, jumping, taking pictures, rolling around, screaming and playing in the sand. Being up there we couldn't help but feel free. This picture says it all!

I actually got the opportunity to spend my birthday on the trip, and the night we went sand boarding happened to be my "birthday eve" as my friends and I like to call it. After we got back to the hotel from the dunes, I was just hanging out down in my room with a couple friends when my good friend Brooke came on and said, "Caroline! Let's go to the boys' room. More people are in there!" The door to my room opened out into the patio of the hotel where the pool and dining area was, and when I walked out of my room that night all of the exchange students were out there to sing happy birthday to me! They even bought me a cake. It was so sweet. It's a Peruvian custom that after the birthday candles are blown out the person whose birthday it is is supposed to get a little part of their face shoved into the cake. It's usually just the tip of their nose or a bit of their forehead. After I blew out my candles about 10 exchange students all shoved my entire head into the cake! I couldn't see anything! It was ridiculous, but a memory that I'll cherish forever ;)

After the cake, some of my best friends and I just sat around in one of our rooms, talking and laughing until midnight came and it was officially my birthday. Right as the clock turned 12, my Swiss best friend grabbed out her guitar. She has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard and she has this one German song that she wrote that I absolutely love. She is usually really self conscious about singing it in front of people, but she knows how much I love it and she decided to sing it for me on my birthday. It was so incredible to sit there, surrounded by best friends, all hugging me and welcoming in my birthday, all to the beautiful sound of Lona singing my favorite song. I couldn't help but shed a couple tears in that moment. I was just so happy to be there with them at the start of my 17th birthday.

That day we went to Paracas, Peru. We spent the day walking around on the beach, taking boat tours, eating ceviche and shopping. We went to these beautiful islands full of wildlife. There were so many birds, seals, penguins, etc. and the water was a beautiful dark turquoise. It was an incredible way to spend my birthday.

The final day of the trip was spent in Nazca where we went to see the famous Nazca Lines. The Nazca Lines are giant line drawings in the ground of Nazca that can only be seen by plane. The mystery behind the lines is that nobody knows how or when they were created. We split into groups of about 10 and went up in small planes to get a good view of the lines. It was so cool, but I got a bit sick in the plane. The ride was only about 30 minutes and I think that if it had been any longer I would have passed out!!

All in all, it was a really amazing trip. I can't believe that it was the final trip of my exchange. I am so thankful that I have had the chance to take these 5 trips throughout the year. Each one has been full of learning, laughing, and all around amazing memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.