First days of school!

Last week I had to go back to work and had all week to prepare my classroom for the kids to come yesterday. Luckily I had everything ready to go and we had a great first couple days together. Hopefully the rest of the year goes just as well!

Cusconian New Year's Eve

It was interesting spending New Year's Eve in a place without snow and ice...just like it was weird for Christmas, but it was cool to be in Cusco. In South America New Year's Eve is a huge celebration...for some even more important than Christmas. They spend more time with family and have bigger parties. They also have lots of superstitions and traditions. As we walked around Cusco during the day, we saw people everywhere selling yellow things: 2014 glasses, confetti, hats, foam fingers, underwear...so of course we had to buy some. Yellow is supposed to bring good luck for the year so that's why you have to wear your yellow underwear. We also bought some glasses, some sparklers - because fireworks are all the rage on New Year's Eve here, some grapes - because you're supposed to eat 12 grapes at midnight; one for each month of the year, and some traditional super sweet wine called Borgona. We were ready.

Before midnight we headed to the Plaza de Armas in downtown Cusco and were confronted by a gigantic crowd of people, lots of them with drinks and bottle rockets in hand. The plaza was completely packed, there was a stage in front with dancers and singers, and there were fireworks going off everywhere. At midnight, the mass of people started moving like a river around the plaza. They say you're supposed to walk/run around the plaza 7 times for good luck - with a suitcase if you want to travel in the next year. The current was so strong we couldn't breath or escape. We made it about 10 feet in a half an hour and finally were able to break away from the pack...what a relief!

All in all it was an interesting night...the only bummer was that my camera was stolen right off my wrist...someone cut the string as they walked by. I noticed right away but couldn't find the person that took it because there were so many people...so let that be a lesson to you! Don't trust the cord on your camera! And zip your pockets and purse!

 

 

Sibling Reunions Rock

At the end of December I got the best Christmas present ever...to see some of my family. We were reunited in Cusco, Peru by an unforgettable 4 day hiking journey to Machu Picchu. I definitely missed other half of my family who couldn't make it, but I was happy with what I could get. I love those guys!