Category: Civic Semester Peru

by Tammy

Before I left for Peru, my friends advised me to keep a journal, or some form of notebook, on me at all times.

“You’re going to write so much,” one friend told me. “It’ll be so important to document everything.”

A few days later, they sent me an Instagram Reel. It featured a young woman in her twenties talking about the most precious possession she owns: a notebook. But it wasn’t just any notebook- it was filled with notes, advice, doodles, and kind messages left by people she had met during her travels. Inspired, I decided to do the same during my time here in Urubamba: carry a little notebook and ask people to leave a piece of life advice or kind words I could carry with me for the rest of my life.

So, here are some of my favorite messages from the past week, written by people we’ve met from all over:

Marisabel – Pottery Teacher

Last Wednesday, we got to choose from four community activities: pottery, cooking, silversmithing, or salsa. Five of us decided pottery sounded interesting. After about twenty minutes on the local bus, we arrived at a charming outdoor studio surrounded by plants and flowers. Sitting around a long wooden table, we began painting ceramics with delicate patterns and bold colors inspired by Incan culture. Some of us even gave real pottery a try. I won’t lie- it didn’t go too well for me- but our friends Ana and Julia managed to make beautiful plates. Julia even decorated hers around the theme of Pachamama, the Earth Mother. Marisabel guided us the whole time; she felt more like a mentor than a teacher. She stood on the side, complimented our creativity, and helped us when called upon. At 70, she brought so much spunk, creativity, and fun.
“Que sus sueños se hagan realidad. Con cariño, Marisabel” (Translation: May your dreams come true. With love, Marisabel)

Jousseppe- Quecha Guest Lecturer

Jousseppe, an invited guest speaker from Dragons, joined us in the beautiful Roca Fuerte garden to give our very first Quechua lesson. That evening, we learned simple phrases and greetings, and soon the air buzzed with excitement as everyone began firing off questions: “Como se dice bano? Como se dice me gusta jugar al futbol? Wait wait no it’s my turn!”. Hands shot up one after another, and laughter was echoing through the garden. By the end of the night, I’d found my favorite Quechua word: Tupananchiskama, which means until we meet again.
“Inhala gratitud, exhala pasión” (Translation: Inhale gratitude, exhale passion)

Diana – Founder, Green Heroes, Urubamba

The fourth piece of advice was written by Diana, the founder of Green Heroes, a local Non profit organization dedicated to interactive climate education in Urubamba. We visited Green Heroes last Friday with high hopes, partly because it was so close to where we lived (thank god we don’t have to commute for an entire hour again!), but also because the mission of the organization excited many of us. As we arrived at Green Heroes, we were greeted by some of the warmest, friendless staff members. We warmed up by playing an intensive (but nevertheless super fun) round of Ninja and later toured around the organization’s interactive “outdoor classroom”, even joining some of the lessons happening on the side. Green Heroes really inspired me. Back home, I was working on climate education with many schools around Taiwan through Fridays for Future, and the visit to Green Heroes really changed my perception on how education should be approached. I valued their priority of having fun and making the experience memorable for the kids. They also paid a lot of attention to the details of their outdoor classroom: there was a compost, many drawings, multiple little farms, a greenhouse and so many other facilities that gave kids the opportunities to learn about our planet. In the end, Diana left me her favorite quote:
“Do your best until you know better. When you know better, Do better <3” – Maya Angelou

Mario – Community Member, Paru Paru

During our three-day excursion to Paru Paru, we immersed ourselves in the local culture through hiking, fishing, mural painting, learning about local herbs and potatoes, and even participating in a Pachamanca ceremony. Before leaving, I asked Mario to give me some advice. After a thoughtful pause, he wrote a heartfelt note- not exactly a piece of advice, but it’s a sweet message I will carry with me moving forward Mario’s message:
“Hola hermana, estoy muy agradecido por vuestra visita es una experiencia con grupo dragones pasamos super experiencia mot alegre muchas gracias” – Mario (Translation: Hello, sister. I’m very grateful for your visit. It was a beautiful experience with the Dragons group; we had a really joyful time. Thank you very much.)

Carrying this little red Dragons notebook has already taught me far more than I expected. Through journaling, reflections, and the messages I’ve collected from the community, each footprint left in ink is a feeling I can carry long after leaving Urubamba. To me, these notes aren’t just memories; they’re tiny pieces of life that will continue to inspire me wherever I go.

by Shelley

This past week here in Peru was one full of next steps, familiar routines and celebration…

Saturday marked a major milestone for everyone in the programme – moving in with our host families. After a game of icebreaker bingo which allowed parents and students to learn some fun facts about each other, the pairings were announced. There were warm embraces between the new-found families in a circle of applause. Then it was officially ‘Goodbye group-living’ and ‘Hello homestay’. Sunday was a dedicated family day, which meant different things for different homes: some families headed out for picnics, others stayed in for movie days, and others held family gatherings. No matter the activity, our new rooms, siblings and pets made for a huge change from Rocafuerte for all.

At the same time, some things last week stayed exactly the same. Work at our NGOs on Mondays and Fridays continued as normal, and spending time together as a cohort remained just as important as ever. Wednesday saw some members of the group bring out their inner supermodel for the day, and on Thursday, the cohort gathered at the new group house for a movie night. While the film itself may not have been a fan favourite, it was the perfect way for us all to come together again. And as ever, book swapping continued within the group like reading was going out of fashion (Ana currently leads the reading table with a whopping SIX BOOKS read so far).

Finally, this week was one of celebration. On Sunday, the group got together for Tammy’s 19th birthday which included a surprise party, a piñata, far too much Inka Cola and just enough cake. In addition, on Saturday we celebrated another huge milestone: reaching the halfway point of our time in Peru! We met early for a short hike, during which we reflected on our takeaways and best moments of the semester so far.

But despite having fewer days left in Peru than we have already spent here (yikes!), we are nowhere near ready to leave. With our long awaited trip to Machu Picchu coming up this weekend, the group is excited for the whirlwind to continue…

by Shuntavi

Today we celebrated reaching the halfway point of the program! It has been a week now since we have met our host families and begun to settle into our new life. Adjustment to family living has been easier for me than I expected. I was told my parents and two younger brothers were matched with me because we all have lots of energy and there is no doubt it is a perfect fit. I did not have time to be nervous on the first day as my brothers, Santiago (10) and Gabriel (7), were hugging me, running in circles around me asking questions, and handing me sweets the minute I introduced myself as their sister. From that moment on it was all teasing and laughter–about how my brothers speak so fast I can barely understand them, about how my Spanish sounds even worse when I am wearing my retainer, about how I eat more than anyone they’ve ever met in their lives because I love Peruvian food so much.

I was not sure what to expect before I came here, but integrating into their family has felt surprisingly natural. On the first day, I met Abuela and Abuelo, who live downstairs and my 4-year-old cousin who lives next door. Just like at home, family and friends are always walking in and out of the house to say hello. On Thursday, my host mom’s brother and his family arrived after 15 hours of driving, surprising us all. His 4-month-old baby and 4-year-old were precious and quickly became family as well. I spent all Friday night playing tag with the 4-year-old, watching her when the rest of the family went out and making sure she ate all of her dinner as an older cousin would. That night we watched a movie and she curled up on my lap, comfortable with me as if I was family.

While I will miss Roca Fuerte dinners all eleven of us in the cohort, reading together on the hammocks, movie nights, and the simple joy of sharing the mundanities of life, I am excited for this next chapter. I am excited for all the Spanish I will continue to learn and all the connections I will strengthen in my time here–whether that be with Mama Flora at the corner store down the street or my adorable 4-year-old cousin. I know that no matter how much Spanish I misunderstand–which will be a lot inevitably–there will be much laugher and joy in the next month and a half because in just the last week there has been an abundance of the two.

– Shuntavi

by Alexis

In three days, we will end the first half of our programme together. We will transition from living together to living with host families. Over the past six weeks, we have learned to live as a community and as a family. We start to pick up on each other’s habits, knowing exactly who will show up late and who is making tea when. We know who is waking up early to do pilates and who is out getting crepes or cupcakes. These little habits that we’ve come to find so normal have made Roca Fuerte and the people around us feel like home.

To celebrate this milestone, we held a bonfire. We started by talking about what we missed from home: the sibling squabbling, our beds or meals. We took a moment to think about how grateful we were to have these elements in our life. Then, we shifted to those around us. We passed around our journals and wrote a sentence or two of gratitude to each person, filling up two pages with heartfelt appreciation we will take with us to our host families and beyond, reminding us of the enduring sense of community have nurtured together. Finally, we took a moment to write down what we were grateful for in our house, in Urubamba and in Peru. Locals’ patience with our crusty Spanish, the towering mountain views and the abundance of fruit filled the pages. After sharing out loud, we threw them into the fire, letting our gratitude be transformed into hope for the future.

About to start our next adventure, I feel a real sense of gratitude. For the people back home, the people here and the place that surrounds me. I will miss the little habits that turned into everyday actions but am looking forward to discovering the habits of a new family. The fire may have burned out, but its light will stay with us as we step into this next chapter.

by Shuntavi

Hello—

This last month has really been something else. I can confidently speak for everyone here when I say that we have fallen in love with Urubamba—with waking up to the mountains every morning, with the slower pace of life, with the rich culture, with the yummy new foods. We have made it a habit of attending salsa classes with our favorite local teacher, Raymi, of exploring new foods at the market, and of strengthening ties with our regulars (Los Ángeles, the pollo a la brasa place down the street, the churro spot on the corner, and the convenience store next door to Roca Fuerte). We have our group favorites, of course: locro de zapallo, arroz chaufa, pachamanca, and ceviche. We’ve been dabbling in soccer with locals and learning about local arts (silversmithing, ceramic techniques, Peruvian cuisine). I cannot express my thanks enough to those who made it possible for us to be here (my parents, Jessye, Dragons). It has been a remarkable few weeks and I could not feel more lucky to be here. Thank you!

This past weekend, we had our first excursion, visiting a high Andean community, Paru Paru. We entered the main house through an archway decorated with flower garlands. The brothers who lead the community, Mario and Celestino, shook our hands and gave us besos. Their wives threw flower petals over our heads. From the moment we entered into their home they treated us like family. Expressing their excitement to share a weekend together, they told us that we would be hosted as brothers and sisters. As we stood there in a circle, young kids ran around and in between us kicking a soccer ball. A younger adult lingered further back in the yard ruffling their hair whenever they would run into him. It was a sweet scene. Whether they were related or not they all cared for the kids and each other with much affection.

I have always been intrigued by the concept of community living and felt strangely at home. Growing up, I was part of an intergenerational Folk choir that my family and all of our family friends sang in. There was also a lot of overlap between our Family Folk Choral community (the choir) and Hineni, a Jewish spiritual group my family was a part of. This network of people has been central to my life and has shaped my value for cultivating and really cherishing my communities. Being in Paru Paru, miles from Boston and my family, I felt—in even these first few moments—that I had found a home away from home.

The weekend was full of highlights. We met one particularly rambunctious 4-year-old, Romario, with whom we played hours of tag and soccer. We learned how to make adobe bricks—and that it requires taking off ones shoes and walking around in the mud (in order to mix up the dirt, water, and hay). We dug for worms in order to fish in the pond and had the best friend trout (“trucha”) I have ever tasted in my life. We played a soccer game against Romario, Celestino, and a bunch of the other members of the community who hosted us. Mario and Celestino prepared a traditional dish for us, pachamanca, a feast of roasted potatoes, Cuy (which we learned to kill and skin ourselves), trucha, chicken, beef, herbs, pineapple, and plantains.

Walking away from this experience, I am left with a deep appreciation for communities like Paru Paru, which are so centered around community and family. I feel gratitude for the warmth Mario, Celestino, their families, and all the other members of the community showed us and feel blessed to have had the opportunity to share their vibrant, loving community.

by Abby

This previous week we went to the community of Paru-Paru in Pisac, Peru. Though there are so many things I learned from my experience there, my biggest take would be that your perspective changes everything.

On our last day of Paru-Paru we had an optional hike to go on where we would pass by 3 lakes and get a gorgeous view of the mountains. The hike began quite peacefully, we were walking around a large mountain to cross a lake and truly begin our ascent. Throughout this we were led by our host Mario and another guide Inocensio. Saying that the views were breathtaking does not do the experience justice. It was like a different world. No one else was around, just us and the mountains.

Though there’s one thing you all should know before I proceed, Paru-Paru is about 3,100 ft (930 Km) difference in elevation from Urubamba. And the hike for the first two hours was all uphill. Once we really began, I started having a lot of trouble breathing in the altitude. I think I took maybe one break to breathe before I had to take another and just sit down. I remember saying to our instructor Juan Diego, “Juan D I really don’t know if I can do this”. I felt horrible. I didn’t want to disappoint the group because everyone was so excited to hike and if I wasn’t able to continue then we would have all had to go back home. It was an internal battle between my mind and body. After a good five minutes, some water, and a few quick tears I decided to continue. Juan D, Mario, and Inocencio agreed to help carry my backpack so that I could focus my energy on just walking and breathing.

I should also mention that I am a notorious over packer. Because once I wasn’t carrying my backpack anymore, I felt like I could breathe and move again. It was both a little hilarious and humiliating. I felt so incredibly bad that someone else was carrying my backpack for me and that I wasn’t able to do it on my own.

It’s ironic, Dragon’s focus is on group effort, communication, and support and yet in my head I still felt like I had to be strong and do it by myself.

There were many MANY pep talks to myself throughout the rest of the day. From cliches of “slow and steady wins the race”, to “c’mon Abbs one step at a time”, “just 15 more feet, you got this”. In my head I had no other choice. I needed to continue. I stopped caring about keeping pace with everyone else and just focused on breathing. Though I no longer had my back pack I still had a difficult time breathing without getting dizzy or nauseous. As a girl born and raised at sea level 13,000 ft was something a little out of my comfort zone.

By the end I was sweaty, exhausted and most definitely needed a shower. But I was so happy. I was finished.  It wasn’t a normal sense of accomplishment. It was something larger. More growth in my perspective and mindset. It wasn’t until two days later on the phone with my dad that I had realized how big of a step this was for me.

I was talking to him because I was a little worried about catching up on homework and figuring out how to manage my time amongst all the activities. And something he said made a realization in my brain click.

Dad: I’m not saying this to be funny, but what time is it where you are? What day is it?

Me: 11:00 am, October 2nd

D: Good. Where are you right now?

M: I’m sitting outside

D: Okay, where are your feet?

M: In my shoes on the concrete

D: Your feet are right here right now, they’re in today. Focus on today. Tomorrow will be tomorrow. But you can’t control tomorrow. Right now, focus on the next second, minute, hour. Whatever you need to, to take it one step at a time.

The hike meant more to me than a challenging workout. Every hour was one foot in front of the other. Focusing on my breathing and just my next step. Nothing bigger. It was difficult, but I did it. It showed me how much the work I have been putting in towards my mindset and perspective has paid off. I didn’t realize how much this program has really changed my mindset before that moment. I mean it’s by no means perfect, but it was progress. I was encouraging myself like how I would try to encourage someone else. The reflecting and journaling of new perspectives has allowed me space to grow as an individual.

Though it may not hold as much meaning to others, this mental growth was a sign I’ve been looking for. That I am on the right path. It made me incredibly grateful for this opportunity and privilege that I’ve been able to have. I can’t wait to see what adventures and challenges the next months hold. Thanks for reading.