Arrival in Ancash

Greetings from Huaraz, Ancash!

   I just arrived this morning to the glorious Ancash! :) I literally slept the SECOND the bus started moving at 11 pm until we arrived at 6:45 a.m.  From gray to blue skies... beach to snowcapped mountains! YAY!

  Currently I am using the wifi that our hostel has here.... I just took a nap... am excited to explore this capital city and am generally very happy.  I think I had to have the storm of emotions right before coming to truly be excited now.  The last couple of days were certainly difficult (in terms of the range of emotions felt)... definitely a roller coaster. On Friday we had some despedidas (goodbyes).  With our language professors, our trainers and our host familias. We also had our graduation ceremony where speeches were said, we all stood in front, had our names called, tears were spilt... all in this huge red, white and blue tent.  We had a little party after that and then we got our track suits! They are awesome and we all wore them on the huge bus to Miraflores in Lima. The getting on the bus part was difficult because basically everything is all chaotic with EVERYONE's stuff and everyone trying to get on the bus and then everyone's families are waiting right next to the bus (crying) and the language facilitators are waving and then you get on and shout out the windows "Voy a extranarte MUCHO! Te quiero!"  or something along those lines and then the bus takes off. 

   I will admit. Ok. Fine. I cried. But you have to believe me, it's emotional! I think maybe even some of the guys shed a little tear. :) We got to our hostel in Lima and then we all went out as a group... fun times. Yesterday was all about spending time with our Peru 13 group one last time and then saying goodbyes kind of all day long. I was the last group to leave at 11 pm... so while it was hard saying goodbye all day, it was also nice to get the chance to say goodbye to literally todos (everyone).  

  I think today we will explore (other Peacecordians who live in Ancash are here to lead us around! yay! they met us at the bus stop and then took us to the hostel which made that transition with ALL our things so much easier).  I'll find out what my mail box number is, find out where all the good places to go for menu are, and just get acclimated in general (yay for altitude! it's actually not so bad).  

  So I'm off now, but know I got to Ancash safely, I'm excited and I think I'll be heading off to my site tomorrow to start the next two years of my vida! Hopefully they started the construction of the wall to my room. We shall see. :) 

Abrazos,

Em