Discovering Peru//A Culture Piece

They say a cafe is the prime spot for evaluating the deepest part of yourself and others. What do I mean by that? The former can be explained by one of my own experiences. In fact, I sit here now, in a coffeehouse down the street, writing this short piece. But, I will touch base on that later. The latter, well, I just phrased it in a nicer way than the direct explanation for the inevitable habit of “people-watching.” Call it what you may, this idea roots from the human desire to observe others and the way they live.

Recently, I had the opportunity to engage in this humanly desire to people watch in a country far different from my own: Peru. I watched from a spectacle how another lifestyle could be so different. As we ventured on countless trips on our huge tour bus, I saw out the window the different landscapes people lived on, the different clothes people wore, even the different means of occupation, such as agriculture and terrace farming on Machu Picchu. I tasted different foods that were so foreign to me and so native to the people of Peru. I felt the furs of alpacas and llamas: animals so discreet in New York city but so copious in the hills of Cusco. I smelled the fresh air of the rural landscape—a foreign concept to a city girl. Everywhere we went, I heard a different language being spoken, different songs being sung. I was immersed in a completely different culture. It was as if I stood behind my camera the entire time looking through the piece of glass, observing a different world. I was stuck looking through a different lens because of how shocking such a culture change was to me. I was thrown into a sea of different people, a different language, different food, a different atmosphere. I was on the outside looking in and it was an experience to remember; not only because of how fun the trip was or the various activities we partook in, but rather because of the fact that at such a young age, I was able to discover and appreciate a different culture. I was left with the epitome of a “people watching” experience. As far as I see it, this type of experience is not only to see others, but also to look into yourself.

The two weeks I spent in Peru gave me a different insight in how I live, comparably to others. It gave me a different perspective on how my life is so unique to the way people live in South America, how my life is unique to the way a person lives down the street. You see, the concept of “people watching” gives you the perspective that everyone has their own lifestyle.

So, when I sit in this cafe, drinking my coffee, with my notebook in front and a pen in my hand, I think back on my experience of others in Peru and compare it to myself. I wonder how others might view me. An important philosophy of mine is that I always try to act and be my best because you never know who is watching you. A book I just recently started reading, *The Geography of Bliss, is by a man who decides to drop everything and travel the world. It excites me to dive into the pages of endless adventures because it allows me to think playfully on my future. And maybe one day, an adventurous, free-spirited teenager might pick up my book, while sipping on her coffee in a cafe, and read about my travels.

But for now, I will just keep reading and counting down the days until I embark on my next adventure.

Love, Rach.

*The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World --- I really recommend it!