Living in Peru : your everyday companion

By Maia Bentz
the record


I have always been a traveler. When I was younger, my mom loved to bring me along with her on excursions as she traveled to countries such as France, India and England. As I’ve grown, I’ve realized that life is a plethora of experiences where one learns and lives, and traveling is a perfect opportunity to explore the world while I discover more about myself. Some experiences are life-altering, whereas others may only leave a trace in your mind.

My story begins and ends in Lima, Peru, where I had one of the experiences that will change the way I think and how I view the world for the rest of my life. I traveled there over May term this past spring with eight other students, professors and faculty from CSB/SJU.

From the busy city of Lima, we traveled by plane to historical red-roofed Cuzco, and continued to travel for two weeks throughout the country while encountering new people and places. We did a little bit of everything. It was a perfect combination of learning, dancing, conversing, mountain climbing, eating and experiencing the culture and sights of Peru.

We visited multiple women’s and youth organizations. We stopped at one of the project sites where the women were in the process of building a women’s center. They explained to us that the facility would offer information on women’s rights, counselors and a day-care, among other features. It was remarkable to see these strong women make such an ambitious plan and follow through with such vigor.

Listening to speakers and conversing with the Peruvian people (in addition to the bright members of my group) broadened my perspective on global issues. Of course I was aware there is poverty in the world, but one of the hardest parts of my trip was actually seeing the “shanty towns” first hand. They lined the edge of every big city, and the inhabitants lived in a way so different from me.

The hardest part of my trip was realizing these sorts of living conditions were everywhere in the world. I had an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness. I was frustrated, too. We were soaking up tons of knowledge, with no clue what to do next. How could I go back to the U.S. knowing so many people were so bad off?

However, I had to think in an alternate way. I couldn’t fall into the trap of arrogance where one visits a country just to criticize their ways. At the end of each day, our group participated in a reflection, where we talked about how we could make our trip meaningful by bringing our knowledge back home. These discussions with my group members comforted me, so at the end of each day I was left with feelings of hope.

I also got the opportunity to visit Machu Picchu, a chance of a lifetime. To stand in the center of a world-famous ancient city in the midst of the mountains of Peru was beyond extraordinary. Besides visiting Machu Picchu, we were able to see the more touristy sites such as Lake Titicaca (the highest navigable lake in the world) and the historical Pachacamac. Although truly picturesque, none of these things would have had any worth without the people I shared these experiences with and the incredible history and culture each place had to offer. I boarded the plane in Minneapolis with no expectations or hesitation, but in retrospect, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I got to experience the beauty of a foreign country, but I also got to travel with an exceptional group from CSB/SJU while learning and immersing myself in an unfamiliar place.

I’m not going to sit here and say “I found myself” or “I became a new person,” because no one can completely change who they are in 14 days. (And even if I could, I don’t think I’d want to.) What I will say about my trip to Peru, however, is that I came back from an incredible trip as a more self-aware and knowledgeable version of my former self.