Finally I Have Information!

About two weeks ago I received an email from my host sister in Lima! I will be residing in the part of Lima known as Pueblo Libre. I now know my host family that I will be with for at least the first part of my exchange. I know my high school, my family, host host club, my host district, and my host town! I'm still excited. Knowing where I will be going just makes everything seem more real.

My family consists of the parents, Carlos and Violeta; a younger brother, Carlos, of 14 years; and two older sisters, Sandra and Melissa, of 23 and 26 years. I WILL ACTUALLY HAVE SISTERS. And, I will no longer be the baby of the family. The family is very nice so, I am excited to be living with them! I'm so grateful that they are willing to take me into their home and welcome me into their family. The two sisters know English and are fluent, the brother claims he speaks Spanglish. I don't really know about the parents. Regardless, I plan on immensely improving my Spanish during my year abroad. I'm not that great right now, I speak like a kindergartener, but I hope on returning speaking like a natural.

My high school isn't much bigger than my current school, surprisingly. I will be going to Claretiano high school. There are about 120 kids per grade, so only a little bigger. When I found out that I would be going to Lima, I expected the school to be bigger, much bigger, than my school here in Illinois. But, I think Claretiano is a private school. I will have to wear a uniform, but I'm not terribly sad about that. It just means less time deciding what to wear in the morning, because I already know what I need to wear. I have been told from many South Americans that school is different down there than up here. And, both of the people I have talked, their schools have the same structure. The two people are Ecuadorian and Colombian. Both of those countries border Peru, so I expect the schooling to be about the same.

Lima is a very large town, almost the size of Chicago doubled with it's 11 million people. The part of Lima that I will be in, Pueblo Libre, has a population of 70,000. That is about 35 times larger than Petersburg. Quite a difference! 

I'm very excited to be going to Lima! I love conversing with my host sister, Sandra. She is very nice and I couldn't ask for a better one. My parents and I have sent off the required paperwork to the travel agent, so we are just waiting now! What I am starting to work on are my gifts to my host families and host club. Ideas are coming to me, slowly but surely. 

Until next time!

Emily Churchill