Day 11- Please leave your shoes at the door

A phrase you don’t often hear in Peru. “Feel free to take your shoes off.” Dani once went barefoot in our house and got a few remarks from our host family. They didn’t think it was disrespectful (at least not from what I gathered). However, they did think it was strange. Taking off my shoes is one of the simple pleasures of Friday nights. On Friday nights, all the ARRIBA students gather at the Carlton’s house for a meal, games, and a whole night of the English language. Being able to speak English freely is a privilege I’ve never thought about before. However, after struggling to communicate through my first week in Peru, I’ve come to cherish the hours spent with my ARRIBA team speaking freely without having to think about each word before it comes out of my mouth. At the Carlton’s we talk about the differences between our host families and what we are struggling with at the time. It’s strange to think I feel blessed to have both a shower curtain and a toilet seat. Others on the trip have neither. However, those others have hot water to shower with. I can’t decide if I’d rather have hot water but no curtain, or a curtain but no hot water: a decision many have never even thought about. It’s the simple things that make this experience exciting. I can’t wait for the week when the bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen will all be in the jungle J