It has officially been a few weeks since I arrived in Peru, and somehow I already feel like I have experienced so much. My first week here was filled with orientation activities designed to introduce us to Peru and prepare us for the months ahead. Since then, I have moved into my apartment, started settling into my placements, met people who are quickly becoming part of my community, traveled outside of Lima for the first time, and, most importantly, started figuring out what

Going into YAV orientation in Louisville, I was excited, but I was also nervous about meeting new people and whether I would fit in. My first impression was that everyone seemed incredibly smart. Each person arrived with different experiences, perspectives, and reasons for choosing to serve. I didn't know what our relationships would look like by the end of the week, but I definitely did not expect to feel so connected to everyone so quickly. There were twelve of us altogethe

In just a month, I’m trading St. Louis for Lima to spend an entire year of hands-on cultural and social immersion. I’ll be working alongside the Center for the Development of Black Peruvian Women while learning what accompaniment, community, and solidarity look like in practice. This blog holds the honest version of that year: the preparation, the questions, the everyday beauty, the uncomfortable growth, and the lessons I could not have planned for. It is a place to stay conn