Horns meet World. World meet Megan Nater. Megan is an International Relations major here at UT with a minor in Latin American Studies. Check out her perspective on Peru, and why you should go there too!
My sweet roommate from sophomore year told me that Peru changed her life. She went for just a short two weeks, but apparently that was enough for her to “fall in love” with the country . I thought about her as I flew in over the city. Peering out the window over a thousand lights, I smiled at the glittering city no longer doubting the authenticity of her passion.
I decided to do the UT Exchange program and was the only student from UT going to Peru that semester. With that being said, I was a little nervous to be embarking on this journey completely on my own. Thankfully, International Student Orientation put me at ease. Normally orientation provokes feelings like dread and boredom; not to mention the awkwardness of ice breaker games. But not this time! In the first few hours, I met people from France, Germany and Mexico. After a brief exchange of numbers, we were already making plans to hang out after orientation (yipeee for #firstdayfriends).
School was a short hour commute from my home in Miraflores. Yes, you read that sentence correctly. I would take two buses and the traffic in Lima was rough. When I was feeling fancy, I would take a taxibeat/uber. It isn’t recommended to take taxis off the street, especially as a lone extranjera, but taxi apps were really convenient. It was only a $3-4 ride to school, and it was always a fun conversation talking to the taxi drivers #meetinglocals.
My neighborhood in Miraflores was beautiful. As one of the nicer neighborhoods in Lima, it had an ocean view and was filled with gorgeous green spaces, cute cafes, and yummy yummy restaurants . Speaking of food, Lima is a foodie’s dream. It has two of the top ten restaurants in the world. There is also a world renowned food festival called Mistura that happens every year in October. The festival is hosted along the beach with food from all over the country and globe. Amazing!
Food aside, my favorite part about studying abroad in Peru was traveling. The country is stunning. If you like the outdoors, you will enjoy every trip you take. Hiking, sand dunes, Machu Picchu, the rain forest… Peru has it all, and traveling is very affordable (yay!). My biggest recommendation is to just GO! Travel as much as you can and never turn down an invitation to explore. I saw the most incredible places and met wonderful people by just saying yes to things when I was in Peru.
So, despite the intensity of city-life in Lima, the country is full of nature where you can “refresh.” This exchange program offers something for every student, so just Go already! #UTstudyabroadlatinamerica
This isn’t Megan’s first time being abroad either. If you still aren’t sold on Latin America and want to read about her other experiences check them out here!
I was in Peru two years ago and it was a beautiful experience :). Barranco is a beautiful place to live, it has parties, it is on the side of the sea, culture and people are very nice I also recommend this facebook group to find recommendations and tips in Perú: https://www.facebook.com/groups/exchangestudentinternationslima/