My amazing roommate

So I know some of my readers have discovered my incredible roommate's blog (I have two incredible roommates of course, but this would be in reference to Eden), but for those of you who have not I would encourage you to check it out.. especially those of you who know me well. It's amusing how Amanda, Eden, and I have now been living together long enough to have picked up on all of each other's quirks and... individuality, to put it nicely :) Amanda and Eden have especially enjoyed picking up on all of my weird sayings. I am beginning to get used to the fact that I say weird things... and pronounce them with my strange Jersey/Philly/NY accent, and apparently they have too. So Eden has recently posted a special little feature of my odd sayings and I encourage you to read it for a little laugh.. The Blog of Eden.

First Peruvian Hospital Experience.. yayy

Hopefully you can sense the sarcasm, because heading to the hospital last Friday with my roommates was a little less than enjoyable, though not terrible. It probably sounds worse than it was, but I got a nasty bacterial infection that has been spreading around a lot of the teachers and students and school and it made me bed-ridden and home from school with a real high fever for several days last week. Thankfully Eden speaks the most Spanish out of the 3 of us in the house, so she was able to help me where I couldn't fully express my symptoms.. and that's not exactly something you want to mess up. But after a few hours of waiting, and being stared out as the only "gringas" (ah yes, the lovely slang for American) in the hospital, I left with lots and meds and am feeling much better. Thought you might want to see catch a glimpse of a Peruvian hospital, since Eden had to take along her camera to document the moment :)

Eden brought along a horse she found on the street for some comfort... I don't know, I don't ask

So, I guess it's about time I show some pictures from my Thanksgiving trip last weekend. (Was that really just last weekend??) It already feels like it was 2-3 weeks ago. School is just getting crazier and crazier these last few weeks as we're wrapping up and preparing for finals that it is going soo fast. In 2 weeks, I will have officially finish my first semester teaching and will be home wrapping presents and eating my mom's Christmas cookies!! I don't remember the last time I was this excited to go home. Anyway, here is where we stayed last weekend in Cieniguilla (don't trust me on the spelling..) on the other side of the city. We literally just relaxed and sat around the house we rented for 3 days. It was so nice to get away and be with what felt like family for several days for Thanksgiving. We played games, watched movies, and swam in the pool on Black Friday!! That's definitely a first and something I can get used to. It's really amazing how quickly you can adjust when you're overseas to different traditions and how friends quickly become family who you celebrate holidays with. I'm definitely happy to be coming home for Christmas, but for Thanksgiving, this was pretty nice.

Rachel carving the bird =)

Our little "Peruvian" family.. before stuffing ourselves

...after stuffing ourselves. See, Thanksgiving is still Thanksgiving, even in Peru

By the pool on Black Friday!

The adorable Hollie family..

Makin' guacamole.. my new favorite since coming to Peru =)

The adorable Hollie twins we got to play with for 3 days!