LATEST POSTS

Ecuador

Welcome to Quito and Quito Botanical Gardens

Ecuador

Isabela Island – Los Túneles

Ecuador

Isabela Island – Sierra Negra Volcano

Ecuador

Isabela Island – Tortoises, Flamingos, and the Wall of Tears

Ecuador

Isabela Island – Las Tintoreras

Ecuador

Santa Cruz – Tortoises and Tortuga Bay

Ecuador

Santa Cruz – Las Grietas and Los Gemelos

Ecuador

North Seymour Island

Ecuador

San Cristóbal Highlands

Ecuador

Kicker Rock

Ecuador

Española Island

Ecuador

Welcome to the Galapagos Islands!

Ecuador

Guayaquil

Peru

A Walk Around Central Lima

Peru

Huaca Pucllana

Peru

Tipón: An Inca Triumph of Hydraulic Engineering

Peru

Machu Picchu: The Citadel

Peru

Machu Picchu: Inca Bridge and Intipunku

Peru

Inka Pachakuteq and the History of Machu Picchu

Peru

Ollantaytambo

Peru

Moray and Maras Salt Mines

Peru

Cusco Adventures: Q’enko and Saqsayhuaman

Peru

Cusco Adventures: Tambomachay and Puka-Pukara

Peru

Off to Cusco! And a Visit to Qorikancha

Peru

Oxbow Lake

Peru

Brazil Nuts, a Lizard, and Creepy Night Crawlies

Featured Peru

Macaw Morning

Peru

Puerto Maldonado

Argentina

Casa Rosada and La Boca

Argentina

“Random Buenos Aires” Tour

Argentina

Teatro Colón

Argentina

The World’s Most Beautiful *fill in the blank*

Argentina

Welcome to Buenos Aires!

Argentina

Argentina History: 1900s to Present

Argentina

Argentina History: 1400s – 1800s

Peru

Aqochaka and the Way Home

Peru

Adventure Walking

Peru

Canta Adventures!

Peru

Final Building Pictures!

Peru

The Home Stretch

Peru

Christmas and Birthdays, Peruvian Style

Peru

Ica Adventures

Peru

Back to November…

Peru

Let There Be Lights!

Peru

Too Many Things/I’m Tired

Peru

Stucco, Staff Day, and Bamboo Fun

Peru

Zoo-ming Through September

Peru

“Birthday” Weekend and Another Floor!

Peru

Back in the Groove and a Weekend Adventure

Peru

Another Team Week… and a CEILING!

Peru

We Have Floors!!!

Peru

We Have Walls!!!

Peru

June in a Nutshell

Peru

All of the Things, All at Once

Argentina

Chorillo del Salto and Strolling Around El Chaltén

Peru

Same Old, Same Old

Argentina

Laguna de los Tres

Argentina

El Chaltén and Laguna Torre

Peru

Ready or Not, Here May Comes…

Blog

Website Update! (and ignore those other emails… whoops!)

Peru

Work-Life Balance

Chile

The W Trek, Day 4 – Mirador Las Torres

Chile

The W Trek, Day 3 – Lake Nordenskjöld

Peru

Return to Office Life

Chile

The W Trek, Day 2 – French Valley

Peru

The First of Many Team Weeks

Chile

The W Trek, Day 1 – Grey Glacier

Chile

The Road to Torres del Paine

Peru

Power Outages and Earthquakes

Argentina

Perito Moreno Glacier Trekking

Argentina Chile

Welcome to Patagonia!

Peru

Down to Business

Peru

Welcome Back to Peru!

Peru

Life Update

Poland

Wieliczka Salt Mines

Poland

Auschwitz II-Birkenau

Poland

Auschwitz I

Poland

Zakopane

Poland

Kraków Ghetto and Wawel Hill

Poland

Kraków Old Town

Poland

Warsaw Museums

Poland

More Warsaw

Poland

A Walk Around Warsaw

Poland

History of Poland, 1797 – Today

Poland

History of Poland, 996-1797AD

Poland

Welcome to Poland!

Iceland

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Iceland

The Road Back to Reykjavik

Featured Iceland

Diamond Beach and Glaciers Galore

Iceland

The Land of Petrified Trolls

Iceland

Swimming Pools and More Waterfalls

Iceland

The Golden “Circle”

Iceland

Ghosts, Trolls, and Giant Worm Monsters

Iceland

Into the (Icelandic) Wild

Iceland

Iceland History

Iceland

Welcome to Iceland!

United Kingdom

Inside the Tower

United Kingdom

History of the Tower of London

United Kingdom

No Time for Getting Sick

United Kingdom

Cardiff

Peru

In Case You Were Worried That I Fell Off a Cliff…

United Kingdom

Jane Austen and Bath

Featured United Kingdom

Bath: Roman Baths and A City Frozen in Time

United Kingdom

Bristol

United Kingdom

On the Road/Air/Move Again

Turkey

Buyukada and the Princes’ Islands

Turkey

Mosque Marathon

Turkey

Easter in Istanbul

Turkey

Taksim Square, Galata Tower, and New Town

Turkey

Dolmabahce Palace

Turkey

Bursa

Turkey

Topkapi Palace

Turkey

Hagia Sophia

Turkey

Basilica Cistern

Turkey

Exploring Old Town

Turkey

Istanbul History

Turkey

Welcome to Istanbul!

Georgia

Last Days in Tbilisi

Georgia

A Day of Questionably Good Ideas

Georgia

Batumi

Armenia

Goodbye, Armenia

Armenia

Famous Armenians

Armenia

Cousin Vacation!

Armenia

Shaki Waterfall and Karahunj

Armenia

Khndzoresk

Armenia

Goris

Armenia

Kapan

Armenia

Meghri

Armenia

The Road to Meghri

Armenia

Lots of Lasts

Armenia

Sasuntsi David and Yerablur Military Cemetery

Armenia

Erebuni Fortress

Armenia

Back to the Old Neighborhood

Armenia

Matenadaran

Armenia

Life Back in Armenia

UAE

Dubai Marina and “Old” Dubai

Featured UAE

A Day in Dubai: The Burj Khalifa

UAE

Dubai Mini-History Lesson

UAE

Welcome to Dubai!

Lebanon

Last Days in Beirut

Lebanon

Mountains and Ministry

Lebanon

Byblos

Lebanon

Pigeon Rocks, Luna Park, and the Coast

Lebanon

Armenian Christmas

Lebanon

Rain, Ruins, Everything

Lebanon

Downtown Beirut Tour!

Lebanon

Museum Day

Lebanon

Modern Lebanon History

Lebanon

Lebanon History Lesson

Lebanon

Welcome to Lebanon!

Armenia

Yerevan Church Adventure

Armenia

Happy New Year!

Armenia

The Grinch

Armenia

Sergei Parajanov Museum

Armenia

Christmas Round 1 and New Friends

Armenia

Birthday!!

Armenia

Lighting Ceremony!

Armenia

Websites and LIGHTS

Armenia Georgia

Rustaveli Avenue and Holy Trinity Cathedral

Georgia

Sulfur Baths and the Bridge of Peace

Georgia

Tbilisi and Narikala Fortress

Georgia

Mini-Georgian/Armenian History Lesson

Georgia

The Road to Georgia

Armenia

Work and Life and Work

Armenia

Charents Arch, Garni Temple, and Geghard Monastery

Armenia

Lake Sevan and Dilijan

Armenia

Sardarabad and Etchmiadzin

Armenia

Vanadzor and Vahagni

Armenia

Mesrop Mashtots and the Alphabet Adventure

Armenia

Areni and Noravank

Armenia

Return to Gyumri

Armenia

Life Update

Armenia

Yerevan Botanical Garden and Blue Mosque

Armenia Featured

Havuts Tar Monastery

Armenia

Happy Birthday, Yerevan!!

Armenia

Night at the Ballet

Armenia

Pop-Up Art Exhibition

Armenia

Lots of Changes

Armenia

Dilijan National Park

Armenia

Biking to Etchmiadzin

Armenia

Aleppo-NGO

Armenia

Armenian Independence Day

Armenia

Smbataberd

Armenia

Goodbye, Gyumri. Hello, Yerevan.

Armenia

Archaeology Wrap-up

Armenia

AutoCAD and Laser Cutting

Armenia

Lastiver and Marmashen

Armenia

Sev Berd, Mayr Hayastan, and Sarnaghpyur

Armenia

Mansplaining

Armenia

Armenian Inventions

Armenia

Slowly Falling Apart

Armenia

Eye Struggles and Architecture Class

Armenia

Saghmosavank to Hovhannavank

Armenia

Larkaeologist

Armenia

Mount Aragats

Armenia

T.I.A. – Armenia Edition

Armenia

Vardavar

Armenia

Class, Chaos, and the Armenian Struggle

Armenia

Hunot Gorge, Jdrduz, and Gandzasar

Armenia

The Endless War

Armenia

The Road to Artsakh

Armenia

Second Week Struggles

Armenia

Weekend Adventures

Armenia

Sarnaghpyur and Ponchiks

Armenia

First Work Week!

Armenia

A Whole Lot of Ruins

Armenia

Gyumri

Armenia

Mini Armenian History Lesson

Armenia

Garni Temple, Geghard Monastery, and Levon’s Divine Underground

Armenia

Church Day!

Armenia

Lake Sevan

Armenia

Armenian Genocide Memorial and Museum

Armenia

Khor Virap

Armenia

Welcome to Armenia!

Armenia

Off to Armenia!!

India

Home again!

India

The Long Trek Home

India

Last Days in Jaigaon

India

I Have Friends!

India

Extra Classes

India

Spider Roommate

India

Bhutan

India

A Little Homesickness

Featured India

Darjeeling

India

The Road to Sonada

India

Let’s Talk About Clothes!

India

Pastor Daniel and Ruth’s story

India

Last Day of School

India

Lark-itect

India

Holiday Eve

India

Saturday Surprises and Arts and Crafts

India

Surprise!

India

So. Many. Languages.

India

May Day

India

Monsters

India

Lizard Roommate

India

Happy Birthday, Pastor Daniel!

India

Test Day, Take 1

India

Sick 🙁

India

Test Prep and the Quest to be Normal

India

About the School

India

Teaching Struggles

India

Happy Easter!

India

Good Friday

India

Investiture Ceremony

India

Anddd I’m a Teacher…

India

First Days of School

India

Palm Sunday

India

The Journey to Jaigaon

India

Taj Mahal Day!

India

Akshardham and Gandhi Smriti

India

Delhi Sightseeing

India

Welcome to India!

India

Off Again!

Peru

Goodbye, Peru

Peru

Last Day in Cusco

Peru

Moray and Maras Salt Mines

Peru

Machu Picchu

Peru

Ollantaytambo

Peru

The Travel World

Peru

Tambomachay, Puka-Pukara, Q’enko, and Saqsayhuaman

Peru

Qorikancha

Peru

Bienvenidos a Cuzco!

Peru

Goodbyes and Airport Musings

Peru

More Weather and Water Shortages

Peru

Princess Day

Peru

Weather Chaos

Peru

Current Emotional State: Complicated

Peru

More Electrical Work

Peru

Return to Office Life

Peru

First Day of School!

Peru

Pucusana, Pizza, and Picarones

Peru

Staff Training Day

Peru

Library, Trip Planning, and Water Aerobics

Peru

Prep Week!

Peru

Azpitia

Peru

Last Day of Summer School!

Peru

Birthday Party and Aliens

Peru

More Robots and Cities!

Peru

Barranco

Peru

More Robots

Peru

Esperanza de Ana

Peru

Running

Peru

Bear Boats

Peru

Robotics Class!

Peru

Lima Sightseeing

Peru

No More Vinifan (For Now)!!!

Peru

Robot!

Peru

Field Trip!

Peru

Vinifan

Peru

Pucusana

Peru

Beach Day!

Peru

Castle Model

Peru

The Beginning of Kid City

Peru

Another Day of Capturing Escaping Toddlers

Peru

More Bricks and Maps

Peru

Sunday Work Day

Peru

Errand Day

Peru

Dominoes

Peru

Scavenger Hunt in Chilca

Peru

Prep Day and Churros!

Peru

Is It the Weekend Yet?

Peru

First Day of Summer School!

Peru

Work on a Sunday

Peru

Chicken and Chilca

Peru

Let’s Get Down to Business

Peru

¡Bienvenidos a Perú!

Peru

Peru, Here I Come!

Ghana

One Last Post About Ghana

Ghana

Ghana Wrap-Up

United Kingdom

Headed Home

United Kingdom

Welcome to York!

United Kingdom

One More Day in London

United Kingdom

Sosane Reunion!!

United Kingdom

Welcome to London!

Ghana

Goodbye, Ghana

Ghana

Singing, S’mores, and Stars

Ghana

Lara’s Last Weekend of Fun

Ghana

Akosombo Dam

Ghana

A Day of “Lasts”

Ghana

The Beginning of the End

Ghana

You Can Just Call Me the Geek Squad

Ghana

New Volunteers… Huh?

Ghana

See Ya, James

Ghana

Swimming Pool Saturday

Ghana

Music Class

Ghana

Computer Class Without Computers

Ghana

The Poop Hole, For the Last Time

Ghana

Daylong at the Farm

Ghana

The Long Ride Home

Ghana

A Day on the Lake

Ghana

Lake Bosomtwe

Ghana

Kumasi

Ghana

Happy Birthday Avy!

Ghana

Machete Day!!

Ghana

Power Outage

Ghana

Weeds, P2, and More Poop

Ghana

Another Sunday Bike Ride!

Ghana

New Volunteers!

Ghana

Clinic Construction

Ghana

Back to the Poop Hole

Ghana

Parent Teacher Meeting

Ghana

Food Donation to Pink

Ghana

Back to Village Life

Ghana

Mall Day!

Ghana

Accra

Ghana

Outdoor Classes

Ghana

So Much Corn

Ghana

Teacher Meeting

Ghana

Back to the Farm

Ghana

Bike Ride!!!

Ghana

New Volunteers!

Ghana

Sand Delivery!

Ghana

RIP Couch… and Another Mouse…

Ghana

Baptist Primary

Ghana

Goodbye Nico

Ghana

Sick 🙁

Ghana

Goodbye Amber, Hello Monkeys

Ghana

Orphanage Donation Day

Ghana

Goodbye Tolu

Ghana

Goodbye Sosane

Ghana

I Thought This Was the Dry Season?

Ghana

Let’s Talk About Food!

Ghana

Back to Frankadua

Ghana

Kokrobite

Ghana

Off to Kokrobite!

Ghana

Goat, Cake, and Computers

Ghana

An Action Packed Day

Ghana

“First Day of School”

Ghana

Monday at the Farm

Ghana

Another Sunday

Ghana

Saturday Morning Adventure

Ghana

Goodbye Fernanda 🙁

Ghana

Goodbye Summer School

Ghana

Test Day

Ghana

Reunion in P3/P4!

Ghana

Last Week of Summer School!

Featured Ghana

Ada Foah aka Paradise

Ghana

Mouse Funeral

Ghana

Sick

Ghana

Rain Shower

Ghana

Week 3 Already?!?

Ghana

Church and Soccer

Ghana

Wli Waterfalls

Ghana

Aw Shucks

Ghana

S’mores, Ghana Style

Ghana

Sowing

Ghana

Happy Birthday Nico!

Ghana

A Bad Case of the Mondays

Ghana

Home Sweet Home

Ghana

Cape Coast Castle

Ghana

Kakum National Park

Ghana

Off to Cape Coast!

Ghana

A Perfect Day!

Ghana

Juapong

Ghana

Machete Monday

Ghana

Welcome to Ghana!

Ghana

And We’re Off!

Ghana

Introduction

Featured posts

Featured Iceland

Diamond Beach and Glaciers Galore

At the beginning of our trip, if you’d asked Tony what one thing he was most excited to see, he would have said, without a moment of hesitation, Diamond Beach. The interesting thing about his...
Featured India

Darjeeling

Darjeeling is beautiful!!! I already feel like I need to come back here to do some hiking. The crew I’m with right now is not exactly the hiking type, so I don’t think we’ll be...
Armenia Featured

Havuts Tar Monastery

Victoria and I decided that we wanted to go on a Saturday adventure, so we planned a mini-excursion to visit Havuts Tar Monastery. It was on my list of places to go because I read...
Featured Ghana

Ada Foah aka Paradise

Fernanda leaves us at the end of the week, so she got to pick the location for our weekend travels. Her demands were simple; she wanted to go someplace pretty and relaxing. And so, that’s...
Featured UAE

A Day in Dubai: The Burj Khalifa

Dubai Day started bright and early… and after an INCREDIBLY restful four hours of plane sleep on my flight from Beirut. My flight landed at 4:45AM, I zoomed through immigration, and I tried to somewhat...
Featured United Kingdom

Bath: Roman Baths and A City Frozen in Time

My adventures of blindly following the advice of strangers continued the next day in Bath. Why Bath? I didn’t know. What’s there? I also didn’t know that. My entire knowledge base going in was that...
Featured Peru

Macaw Morning

If you’re looking for a relaxing vacation where you can sleep in and lounge around, the rainforest probably isn’t a good destination for you. Well, there’s plenty of lounge time, and you couldn't pick a...

Peru

Peru

A Walk Around Central Lima

Following our visit to Huaca Pucllana, we enjoyed a leisurely stroll through Miraflores (fancy Lima neighborhood). We walked out toward the water and followed the Malecón, a path along the coast, to Larcomar, a mall...
Peru

Huaca Pucllana

Our 7:20AM flight from Cusco to Lima (Peru's capital) had us waking up bright and early the morning after our adventures in Tipón. Jocelyn picked the flight (thanks a lot, Jocelyn) because she and Benjamin...
Peru

Tipón: An Inca Triumph of Hydraulic Engineering

We had one final day in Cusco after we returned from our marathon day at Machu Picchu, and I was struggling to decide how we should spend it. There are about a million different things...
Peru

Machu Picchu: The Citadel

Now that we've talked about Inka Pachakuteq and the history of Machu Picchu and have explored the outskirts of the site, it’s finally time to explore the citadel! That’s what they call the main area of...
Peru

Machu Picchu: Inca Bridge and Intipunku

Machu Picchu day!!! After three days of visiting ruins all over the region, everyone in the group was excited for a day of… visiting ruins! It may seem like you’d eventually get to the point...
Peru

Inka Pachakuteq and the History of Machu Picchu

Before I talk about our visit to Machu Picchu, I think it’s important to understand some of the backstory to fully appreciate its awesomeness. Visually, it’s incredible no matter how little you know, but the...
Peru

Ollantaytambo

When we left off last time, our good friend Amerigo had just dropped us off in the Ollantaytambo Plaza de Armas after an eventful morning of driving all over the Sacred Valley. We had a...
Peru

Moray and Maras Salt Mines

Like any “travel day”, the morning of our day-long transit to Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu Mountain, was a bit hectic. Our friend Amerigo the taxi man (who we met...
Peru

Cusco Adventures: Q’enko and Saqsayhuaman

Last time, we left off on the side of the road after being released from the world’s craziest colectivo. (This time, get ready for a long post and lots of pictures!) The driver dropped us...
Peru

Cusco Adventures: Tambomachay and Puka-Pukara

I had all sorts of plans for our full day in Cusco. Essentially, I wanted to follow the same schedule as my first time in Cusco because I thought that it was a good intro...
Peru

Off to Cusco! And a Visit to Qorikancha

Travel day! Our final morning in the rainforest was another leisurely one. After eating 7AM breakfast, we walked to a boat, boated to a bus, and bused back to the tour company’s office in Puerto...
Peru

Oxbow Lake

We got to “sleep in” on our second morning in the rainforest. Breakfast was at 7AM, and we left directly after for our morning excursion. The weather looked mildly threatening, but since it wasn’t raining,...
Peru

Brazil Nuts, a Lizard, and Creepy Night Crawlies

After a morning full of macaws, we had a slightly more relaxed afternoon plan. We were heading to another clay lick, this time one that’s frequented by mammals like jungle pigs, deer, and other herbivores....
Featured Peru

Macaw Morning

If you’re looking for a relaxing vacation where you can sleep in and lounge around, the rainforest probably isn’t a good destination for you. Well, there’s plenty of lounge time, and you couldn't pick a...
Peru

Puerto Maldonado

We’re back in Peru! I know, for a time when travel is all but impossible, we sure do seem to move around a lot. But that’s the joy of the internet! And memories. For me,...
Peru

Aqochaka and the Way Home

As well as I slept during our first night in Canta, that’s how poorly I slept the second night (despite having an exhausting day). The major issues were 1. Jocelyn coughed at 1AM, and then...
Peru

Adventure Walking

After winging it on our first day in Canta, we started off Day #2 with a very well-defined plan: hike to “that” waterfall. See photo below for details… (Can you find the waterfall?)     ...
Peru

Canta Adventures!

Now that you’ve seen the final building pictures, you’re probably thinking that we’re finished with Peru and Esperanza de Ana and ready to move on to the next thing, right? Well, yes, we probably should...
Peru

Final Building Pictures!

That's right, folks. It's the moment you've all been waiting for, the moment we've all been working towards for over a year now. I could ramble and make you wait even longer, but I think...
Peru

The Home Stretch

My final days at EA were full of fun holiday activities, but I had to balance those with the work that was still going on. The construction was in full swing, and I wasn’t going...
Peru

Christmas and Birthdays, Peruvian Style

After our weekend of fun in Ica, I only had nine more days before I was leaving Esperanza de Ana! Since we were nearing the end of the year, not only was work busy, but...
Peru

Ica Adventures

Freedom! Jocelyn, Julie, and I walked out of EA and practically skipped down our street towards the bus stop, ready for our weekend of fun to commence. Living and working within the walls of EA...
Peru

Back to November…

Helloooo! I know, this is probably like hearing from a long-lost friend who you never expected to resurface… but here I am! Alive and well and ready to bring you up to speed on all...
Peru

Let There Be Lights!

Remember how excited I was months ago when they started installing electrical tubes? My designs were being put into action, and it was the coolest thing. WELL. That’s nothing compared to what’s happening now. They...
Peru

Too Many Things/I’m Tired

I think I’ve maybe had half a second to catch my breath since I last wrote. My gosh, the last four weeks have been insane. I don’t even know where to begin… The first two...
Peru

Stucco, Staff Day, and Bamboo Fun

I know what you’re thinking. “Lara, it’s only been a week and you’re writing again? What, is the world ending?” I know, I haven’t been very consistent with this, but my original intention was to...
Peru

Zoo-ming Through September

Can you believe September is over??!! I can’t, and I also can’t say that I’m very happy about it. It was a great month! Everything was normal – no crazy modifications to the schedule or...
Peru

“Birthday” Weekend and Another Floor!

It’s been a fun couple of weeks! Ever since I got back from the States, I’ve been feeling so much more at ease and like I have some sort of control over what happens each...
Peru

Back in the Groove and a Weekend Adventure

I’m back in Peru! I got in late last Monday night and spent Tuesday wrapping my head around the fact that they poured another floor while I was gone. That’s right, we have a 2-story...
Peru

Another Team Week… and a CEILING!

Whew! It’s been a while since we last talked, but for once, it’s not because I’m just super far behind on updating you. This time, the delay is because of a much-needed vacation! I’m actually...
Peru

We Have Floors!!!

I feel like a broken record, but I'm going to say it anyway. Even after the team from Hudson left, the following two weeks were still chaotic. I'm sure you’re not surprised. More surprising would...
Peru

We Have Walls!!!

I barely had a chance to settle back in after coming back from the States. My first day back at work was a Tuesday, and by the next Sunday, the next team was here. Talk...
Peru

June in a Nutshell

Remember when I said that I was going to post weekly blogs? Well, if you don’t, then please, continue to not remember. If you do, whoops. As you can see, things aren’t exactly going as...
Peru

All of the Things, All at Once

Are you tired of reading updates where nothing has changed? WELL, then today is your lucky day. Things are happening! My gosh, and it’s such chaos that part of me wishes FEWER things were happening,...
Peru

Same Old, Same Old

There’s a reason why I haven’t been posting every week. Well, there are two reasons, and they’re rooted in the same thing. First, I’ve been so busy that every moment not occupied by work is...
Peru

Ready or Not, Here May Comes…

The last couple of weeks have been overwhelming, hence why I haven’t been posting recently. Last time, I wrote about trying to maintain a work-life balance. It wasn’t going very well then, and it hasn’t...
Peru

Work-Life Balance

The weeks keep flying by, and if all of my drawings were ready and we didn’t have a deadline, that would be okay… but of course, my drawings aren’t ready, and the construction start date...
Peru

Return to Office Life

This week was rough. I know I said that the team week was hard, but I think I’m going to update my previous statement to say that the week after might be worse. At least...
Peru

The First of Many Team Weeks

What. A. Week. Practically every evening last week ended the same way. The other girls went to their rooms/to bed at 9:15PM. I tried to stay up to get things done (like my journal or...
Peru

Power Outages and Earthquakes

This was quite the eventful week! Work-wise, it wasn’t much different than last week. I spent more time hunched over my computer and slightly less time pulling my hair out. At least that’s an improvement,...
Peru

Down to Business

Does anyone have brain re-forming tips? Because my brain has turned into a pile of mush and I kind of need it to be functional instead of mushy. Last week was my first full week...
Peru

Welcome Back to Peru!

Hooray! Welcome to Peru (again)! I've been here for about a week now, and I'm already feeling settled in which is good. It is a little strange to think about the fact that I'm going...
Peru

Life Update

Hi friends! If you’re thinking it’s been a while since you last heard from me… yes, it has. It’s been a crazy time for me! As you know (though from my much-delayed blog posts, you’d...
Peru

In Case You Were Worried That I Fell Off a Cliff…

I'm happy to inform you that I didn't, and I'm sorry to have worried you. In case you wanted proof that my blog hasn't been hijacked by a robot: As you can see, I'm alive...
Peru

Goodbye, Peru

My flight out of Cusco left at 7:30AM, so I dragged myself out of bed at 4:30 and was out by 5, just to be safe. I had hardcore travel anxiety about every single part...
Peru

Last Day in Cusco

Nice muggy picture of the plaza... the weather luckily got a bit nicer. I didn’t have a very ambitious day planned for my final one in Cusco. Originally, I had been thinking that I would...
Peru

Moray and Maras Salt Mines

My train left Aguas Calientes the morning after Machu Picchu Day at 5:30AM. UGH for early morning wake ups. I forced myself to stay awake for the ride though because this time, I had a...
Peru

Machu Picchu

When my Machu Picchu day finally came along, I had mixed feelings. On one hand, of course I was beyond excited to visit the place I had been looking forward to seeing ever since I...
Peru

Ollantaytambo

After my day of visiting ruins, I decided to spend the next day… visiting ruins. I had a train to catch to the town at the base of the mountain where Machu Picchu is located...
Peru

The Travel World

After my mountain biking struggles, part of me just wanted to call it a night at about 6PM. The other part of me was saying, “Lara, you only have one more day here. Make the...
Peru

Tambomachay, Puka-Pukara, Q’enko, and Saqsayhuaman

After visiting Qorikancha, my adventure really began. I wanted to see the four major ruins outside of the city. They’re all within about 16 km of the city center (road distance, not direct distance), so...
Peru

Qorikancha

My plan for Cusco day #2 was ambitious, to say the least. I always make a massive list of things that I’m going to do and then manage to get through MAYBE half of them....
Peru

Bienvenidos a Cuzco!

I know I’ve been silent over the last few days, but no need to worry! I didn’t fall off a cliff or anything. The problem is with the way that I do “vacation”. If I’m...
Peru

Goodbyes and Airport Musings

I don’t know that I’m ever going to get used to this feeling. The feeling of “where did the time go?” and “I feel like I just got here, but now it’s time for me...
Peru

More Weather and Water Shortages

The weather situation here has just gotten worse since the last time I wrote about it. It’s even getting a small nod in the international news, and when that happens for a weather-related event, you...
Peru

Princess Day

What a crazy week! I’ve been trying to get as much of the electrical stuff finished as possible, but I’m running out of time, and there’s so much to do! Then yesterday, I gave a...
Peru

Weather Chaos

There have been some crazy weather-related things happening here recently. You may recall that I mentioned some “huaicos” (mudslides) a couple weeks ago when we went into Pucusana for dinner. I said that there’s been...
Peru

Current Emotional State: Complicated

This is my second-to-last weekend at Esperanza de Ana, and today I’m really feeling the weight of that reality. I finally feel like I’m hitting my groove here. I’m part of the team. I have...
Peru

More Electrical Work

Thank goodness it’s Friday because I’m ready for a break! All of the thinking I’ve done this week has taken a toll on me. I know that sounds pathetic, and it’s not like my time...
Peru

Return to Office Life

I don’t know that I’m really cut out to be a teacher. The last three days have proven to me that I like kids a lot more when I’m not spending all day in a...
Peru

First Day of School!

School started today! Our schedule has completely shifted now, and it’s going to take a little getting used to – mostly because eating times have shifted and that changes everything. Here’s how the new schedule...
Peru

Pucusana, Pizza, and Picarones

I’ve been loving our little weekend adventures! For the last few Saturdays, we’ve been sleeping in, taking some free time in the morning, and then going somewhere and doing something together in the afternoon/evening. It’s...
Peru

Staff Training Day

Today was a VERY long day (also, apologies in advance that I have very few pictures from today, so I’ll attempt to be somewhat entertaining to make up for it). Since this is the last...
Peru

Library, Trip Planning, and Water Aerobics

It’s been mentally exhausting couple of days… Yesterday morning, as predicted, I finished the library cataloging job! It’s exciting that I actually estimated my finish time correctly because estimation is definitely not one of my...
Peru

Prep Week!

Happy last week of summer break! Remember those days growing up? One more week to fit in every last bit of fun because life is basically over once school starts. Well, lucky for me, I...
Peru

Azpitia

We had another weekend of freedom!! It is so incredibly nice to have a break, especially with the end of summer school and the craziness of the last week, trying to get everything done. We...
Peru

Last Day of Summer School!

Can you believe it? Today was the last day of summer school! I’ll admit that part of me is a little sad, but a bigger part of me is excited for no more late nights...
Peru

Birthday Party and Aliens

Yesterday was another long and tiring day! I started writing this last night, but I was doing the whole fall-sleep-and-write-nonsense thing, so I figured that finishing it would be better left to today. Wednesdays are...
Peru

More Robots and Cities!

I had a nightmare a few nights ago. I don’t remember a lot of the details, but I do remember being in a car with my mom, driving up a very steep road. When I...
Peru

Barranco

We had a rare treat this weekend… a day off! Actually, we technically had two days off (a normal weekend… imagine that!), but Debbie and I had to do some prep for class today, so...
Peru

More Robots

If I never have to solder another connection, it will be too soon. The fact that I’m going to have to do it again on Monday means that it’s DEFINITELY happening too soon. I’m going...
Peru

Esperanza de Ana

Now that I’ve been here for almost a month, I figure it’s time to finally get around to explaining what exactly Esperanza de Ana does. This is a description of their work from the website:...
Peru

Running

I’m sure you’ll all be happy to hear this… We didn’t have any classes today, so I actually had some time to pull myself together!! You have no idea how much better I’m feeling mentally....
Peru

Bear Boats

The more I think about it, the more I realize how much the team week threw me off. I’m currently feeling a little stressed and overwhelmed, and I was trying to understand what is different...
Peru

Robotics Class!

​We started the robot project today! It went so much better than I was hoping for, and thank goodness for that because my expectations were incredibly low. We had the oldest kids (C4) in the...
Peru

Lima Sightseeing

​This weekend has been completely packed. I didn’t get a chance to write yesterday because it was crazy from morning to night… we didn’t get home until after 11PM! I, of course, was a total...
Peru

No More Vinifan (For Now)!!!

​You’ll never guess what happened today… we finished wrapping all of the notebooks!!! I seriously thought there was no chance of us finishing before the end of the week, and I’m still not completely sure...
Peru

Robot!

​**This is from yesterday, but I literally fell asleep writing it. THE ROBOT WORKS!!! This is BEYOND exciting news!! To sum it up really quickly, Tony got the idea that Debbie and I should teach...
Peru

Field Trip!

​Today was so much fun!!! We went on a field trip with the team and ALL of the kids. The morning was the usual: make coffee at 6AM (my least favorite thing to do), run...
Peru

Vinifan

​The last two days have been one, big, notebook-wrapping blur. The team has been working on their service projects, and I’m in charge of the “vinifan” project. Let me attempt to summarize the ridiculousness that...
Peru

Pucusana

​Secret beach! El Boquerón. I love the view of the buildings in the background. Despite losing a Sunday of personal time because of the team’s arrival, today was a great day! Since the team is...
Peru

Beach Day!

​The view from my beach chair The mission team arrives tonight, and they’re going to be here for the next week. Since we’re going to be running around the entire time they’re here, Debbie decided...
Peru

Castle Model

​Okay this is going to be another quick one because I am super tired. If I don’t fall asleep while writing, we’re going to call that a win. At this point, it’s not feeling promising....
Peru

The Beginning of Kid City

​Time moves incredibly quickly here. I wake up, I blink, and it’s time for bed. That’s a good thing though, right? That means I’m keeping busy at least. Ha… as if that’s something I was...
Peru

Another Day of Capturing Escaping Toddlers

​I think Tuesdays might be the most exhausting day of the week. I have 4 hours of classes on Tuesdays, which is also the case on Mondays and Fridays, but Tuesday afternoon includes the two...
Peru

More Bricks and Maps

​I can’t believe it’s only Monday. The whole “work every day” thing is starting to mess with my head to the point where I have no idea what day of the week it is anymore....
Peru

Sunday Work Day

​It's starting to seem like we have a seven-day work week here. I don’t think there’s been a single day since the very first day that I didn’t do something work related. I’m happy to...
Peru

Errand Day

​We had a big errand day today, and it was one of those unfortunate errand days where everything goes a little (or a lot) more slowly than you’re expecting, it becomes impossible to finish all...
Peru

Dominoes

​I made it through my first week!! I’ll admit I was a little worried when I already felt like I needed a break after Tuesday. The weather today was, again, hot and sunny, and Debbie...
Peru

Scavenger Hunt in Chilca

​Every day since I arrived, the weather has been beautiful here. The sky has been overcast which blocks the hot sun, and as a result, the temperature has been easily bearable. It’s around the mid-70s,...
Peru

Prep Day and Churros!

​I had a much-needed break from teaching classes today. Wednesdays are fun/play days (as if every other day isn’t also all fun and playing) which means beach trips/movies/free time to play outside. I luckily didn’t...
Peru

Is It the Weekend Yet?

​I’m exhausted. So far, one of the main things I'm getting out of this year is a massive appreciation for actual teachers. My feet hurt from standing, and I only had 4 hours of class...
Peru

First Day of Summer School!

​Happy first day of summer school! This was my first day experiencing a schedule that’s more structured and closer to the school year schedule, though that still has some differences from what we’re doing now....
Peru

Work on a Sunday

​For the last two days technically being “off” days over the weekend, we certainly did a lot of work. I think that’s the teacher life though. You work whenever you need to in order to...
Peru

Chicken and Chilca

I survived my first work week!! Woo! I know, not that impressive considering it was only one day, but let me have this little celebration anyway. Week #2 is definitely going to be much more...
Peru

Let’s Get Down to Business

​After having some time to relax and settle in yesterday, today we got to work! The morning started off at 9AM with a staff meeting… in Spanish. I’m going to put my comprehension at maybe...
Peru

¡Bienvenidos a Perú!

Sunset from the plane Welcome to Peru! Somehow, the trip here felt like an eternity even though I had a direct flight from Miami. I’m definitely happy that I didn’t have to come all the...
Peru

Peru, Here I Come!

​After two long, relaxing months at home, it’s finally time for me to get going again! I’m currently sitting in the Miami airport, waiting for my flight to Lima to start boarding. Ready to go!...

Patagonia/ARGENTINA

Argentina

Casa Rosada and La Boca

It’s our last day in Argentina, folks! Mike and I had an evening flight back to New York which gave us most of the day to do some last-minute sightseeing. I was excited because it...
Argentina

“Random Buenos Aires” Tour

Welcome back to the world’s longest day! I’ve already talked about our morning of wandering and visiting Recoleta Cemetery and our tour of Teatro Colón. When we left the theater, it was only 1:30PM! We...
Argentina

Teatro Colón

We left off last time as Mike and I were headed to Teatro Colón, the national opera house, for a tour. In case you didn’t know, I have a theater/opera house obsession… and while I...
Argentina

The World’s Most Beautiful *fill in the blank*

Instead of spending another day aimlessly wandering the city, like on our first day in Buenos Aires, we attempted to formulate a plan to make the most of our only full day in the city....
Argentina

Welcome to Buenos Aires!

Since it’s been a while since my last post about Mike’s and my trip to Patagonia/Buenos Aires, let me reacclimate you. We just finished 7 days of hiking, hiking, and hiking, and by some miracle,...
Argentina

Argentina History: 1900s to Present

Last time, we talked about Argentina’s transformation from a land of indigenous tribes to a Spanish colony to an independent republic. It entered the 20th century in the middle of a very prosperous golden age....
Argentina

Argentina History: 1400s – 1800s

Welcome back to Argentina! I know it’s been a while... I’ve put off this post because I had to do some research, and that's always a bit more time-intensive than when I primarily have pretty...
Argentina

Chorillo del Salto and Strolling Around El Chaltén

Our final day in El Chaltén was also our final day of hiking... our seventh in a row. The fun wasn’t completely over - we had a flight to Buenos Aires the following day, but...
Argentina

Laguna de los Tres

Our only full day in El Chaltén was dedicated to the hike to Laguna de los Tres. It’s the most popular hike in the area, is listed as “difficult”, and is supposed to take 8...
Argentina

El Chaltén and Laguna Torre

Our stay in El Calafate was especially short the second time around. We arrived at about 10:30PM, went to sleep at 3:30AM because we apparently love to self-sabotage, and caught a bus to El Chaltén...
Chile

The W Trek, Day 4 – Mirador Las Torres

Our final day in Torres del Paine started bright and early… if by bright you mean dark because the sun wasn’t up yet. We had about 9.5 hours of hiking ahead, and we needed to...
Chile

The W Trek, Day 3 – Lake Nordenskjöld

Our third day of the W trek started out much better than the second. There was no wind in the forest where we were camping. I didn’t wake up terrified of blowing away. Nothing disturbed...
Chile

The W Trek, Day 2 – French Valley

I had possibly the worst sleep of my life after our first day of hiking in Torres del Paine. The day was windy enough to make you feel like you were going to blow away,...
Chile

The W Trek, Day 1 – Grey Glacier

Torres del Paine National Park is well-known for two major treks. One is called the W, and the other is the O… very creatively named for the approximate shapes of the trails. Based on our...
Chile

The Road to Torres del Paine

My alarm jolted me awake at 5:15AM, and it didn’t take long for the feelings of soreness and tiredness to sink in. Ugh. Mornings are the worst. Especially early mornings after long days of hiking...
Argentina

Perito Moreno Glacier Trekking

Our first full day started out bright and early with a 7AM bus pickup from our hostel. In writing that, I realize that 7AM isn’t actually that early, but on vacation after a day of...
Argentina Chile

Welcome to Patagonia!

I know, I know. I practically just welcomed you to Peru, and now we’re in Patagonia? What is this? Confusing, that’s what. But here we are, and if you ever want to hear about Patagonia...

Poland

Poland

Wieliczka Salt Mines

I left Auschwitz around 4PM and took a bus back to Kraków. I had plans to leave Poland the following day, and I still had one thing I wanted to do – visit the Wieliczka...
Poland

Auschwitz II-Birkenau

As I explained in my last post, Auschwitz was actually a camp in many parts. The two largest were Auschwitz I which I talked about, and Auschwitz II-Birkenau which is probably the most well-known. Auschwitz...
Poland

Auschwitz I

Poland was added to my "must go" travel list during a visit the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. Before that, I don’t think I’d ever thought twice about Poland, but I was standing there, looking...
Poland

Zakopane

At about 10PM after my day of Kraków wandering, Annika, my friend from the city tour, texted me and asked if I wanted to go with her family to Zakopane. She had mentioned it at dinner...
Poland

Kraków Ghetto and Wawel Hill

I didn’t have any big plans for my second day in Kraków, so I allowed myself a leisurely morning before setting out to investigate the random collection of things I had on my “to see”...
Poland

Kraków Old Town

My next stop after Warsaw was Kraków (kra-kohv) in southern Poland. I was sad to leave Warsaw behind, but at least I still had more time ahead in Poland. I wasn’t ready to move on...
Poland

Warsaw Museums

I spent a lot of time wandering aimlessly around the streets of Warsaw, partly because I was recovering from Iceland and partly because sometimes it’s nice to simply wander. You know me, though. I also...
Poland

More Warsaw

Last time, we left off in the heart of Warsaw Old Town, Old Town Market Square. Now, let's go to the edge of Old Town and the old city walls. Starting in the 14th century,...
Poland

A Walk Around Warsaw

My flight landed in Warsaw (Warszawa in Polish, pronounced like "Varshava") at about 6:30 in the morning. I wanted to collapse from exhaustion, but I still had a whole day ahead so that wasn’t an...
Poland

History of Poland, 1797 – Today

When we left off last time, Poland had just been partitioned for the third time, resulting in ALL of the Polish lands being given to other countries. Poland was gone. Clearly, considering that Poland is...
Poland

History of Poland, 996-1797AD

Are you ready for a Polish history adventure? I hope so because this is a long one, but in order to understand the Poland of today, I think it’s important to know the history behind...
Poland

Welcome to Poland!

I know it feels like we’ve been in Iceland forever, but in realtime, it was only a week (ha!). My Icelandic adventure ended a bit anticlimactically… with a 16-hour stay in the airport. My brother’s...

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