I have really enjoyed my time in Trujillo and it’s starting to feel like home.

At first there was a lot to adjust to, but after about two weeks I got into my routine and speaking Spanish everyday got a lot easier. It has also been so nice to be here with other College of Charleston students because we all know exactly what each other is going through and can laugh through our awkward language barrier moments together. One thing that took a little getting used to is living with a new family and living by their schedule.

On a typical day, I will wake up around 8 and walk to school. The walk is straight up a hill but gorgeous. We take our classes in a 17th century convent and around noon we have a coffee break. Everyday for coffee break a lady, Juani, makes us coffee, tea, and hot chocolate with cookies. After class we will have a pretty big lunch around 2:30 with our families and a smaller dinner or snack around 9:30. Even though this is not what I am used to, it has been so nice because I will go to school until 1:45, then come home and eat lunch with my host family and it’s always delicious and I have gotten to try so many new foods. After lunch it’s siesta, so everyone goes home and most stores close to eat lunch and rest for a while. I like to take advantage of this time to rest and sometimes take a nap, or maybe get some homework done. We will usually go out after siesta and explore the city or sit in a little café and do homework together.

Even though Trujillo is a pretty small town, it still feels like there is a ton to see and explore. There are so many beautiful places to go on walks and watch the sunset, and my favorite thing to do is get snacks with everyone and have a sunset picnic by the castle.