Last Updated:6:08 PM EST 12/9/09 Section: Lifestyles

Media Credit: Submitted photo Megan joins her study abroad group for a farewell dinner. Megan will soon be returning to the U.S. from Lima, Peru.

Media Credit: Submitted photo Megan and her Peruvian friends pose for a photo after going to dinner.

Well, the sun has finally graced us with its presence.

Lima, although still definitely a city, is finally turning into the tropical sunny paradise that I was hoping for.

Packing is becoming my worst nightmare, apart from saying goodbye to all the beautiful people that I've met here. I only have a few days left to enjoy sunshine and warm weather before returning home to winter in upstate New York.

I survived 4 1/2 months of combi madness, five classes in Spanish, missing my friends and family, and the countless other experiences I've had here.

Not only have I survived, but I've come out of this experience changed for the better. I've learned more about myself than I ever thought possible.

Living in a culture completely different from your own, speaking a different language 90 percent of the time, and eating foods that are completely different to you can really push your limits. You learn how much you can and can't handle, you find new things that you love, you learn to like things that you have to live with, and you begin to grow up.

I have learned how to adapt myself to new surroundings and be flexible when things change. Patience has never been one of my strong suits, but I can see in myself that I've definitely become much more patient.
Every single one of us from my program has come out of this experience a little stronger, a little more independent and a lot better at speaking Spanish.

Almost 5,000 photos later, I know this experience is something I will never forget. My little part of Lima that I have come to know so well has become a second home to me.
My family here has become like real family to me. I have learned to embrace the culture and history here as if it were my own.

I realize all of this sounds rather cliché, but it is true. Everyone I know who has gone abroad, or is abroad now, has said the same thing: it is a life-changing experience, and to say this is not true would be an outright lie.

At the same time I'm dreading leaving, I am beyond excited to be coming home. I'm excited to see my family and friends, play with my dogs, eat cereal and I am thrilled to drive in normal traffic again.

I'm excited for the holiday season at home because even with decorations all over here it doesn't have the same Christmas feel for me.

And as much as I really love Peru, I did not fall in love with the university. The library is one of the most complicated things I've experienced here.

An inside joke I've found among Peruvians who have spent time living in other countries is that nothing in Peru is efficient. That's just the way it is and everyone adapts to it.

I've found that to be true on so many levels, especially with things at the University. I cannot wait to be back at Fisher next semester.

Living in a new country has given me a new appreciation for home in the U.S. I also have become more aware of many of the things that could be improved upon.

I have had the opportunity to learn about many of the differences and similarities between these two cultures and I have gotten a glimpse of the overall humanity of the world.

You know you have studied abroad in Peru when:

1. You have a new family. There is no doubt in my mind that I'll be coming back to Lima sometime in the future. I am also hoping my host sisters can come visit me in the U.S.

2. "Chévere" is part of your daily vocabulary. It is basically the equivalent of saying "awesome."

3. You can successfully navigate the public transportation system, including combis, to anywhere you need to go in the city.

4. You can sing along with the radio in Spanish. I've discovered a whole new world of music - everything from Huayno to Cumbia to Criolla. Also, the basics of rock and pop are a given.

5. You know where to get a killer manicure for $3 USD. Manicures and pedicures here are super cheap and a nice way to relax and escape the city grime.

6. Half the comments on your Facebook are in Spanish. Sometimes I still need to ask for a translation since they all use crazy slang and abbreviations, but I can usually figure it out.

7. You are used to eating things when you're not exactly sure what they are. Most of the time I just assume it's some sort of vegetable, and it usually tastes pretty good.

8. You now have friends from all of the world and the U.S. In addition to friends here in Peru, I have become close friends with people from Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Virginia, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Canada. I have also met and hung out with people from New Zealand, Israel, Mexico, Colombia, Japan, England and Switzerland.

9. Machu Picchu is checked off your "to do" list. It's magnificent.

10. You really really really love Peru.

mnn04010@sjfc.edu

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