Friday, June 20, 2014

Coming Home

At long last my daughter, Kate, is coming home on Sunday. 
At the beginning of January, she left on her big adventure, traveling to Cusco, Peru.  She wanted to do something for others less fortunate than herself, so she found an agency in Cusco where she could volunteer, booked a flight, and applied for a visa, all before I knew what to say. 
To be honest, I wasn't originally very happy about it, but she picked Peru because her father, that she barely knows, is from Peru, and she wanted to experience the other part of her heritage.
Here she is with a local young lady who is dressed up for a festival.
 
 
Cusco is surrounded by mountains, and although it was summer when she arrived there, because of the elevation, it was still 
somewhat cool and often rainy.
 
 
Kate was quite taken with all the dogs that roamed the streets and captured a few of them in photos.
 
 
 
 
Her first placement work was at a home for teenage sexually abused girls.  Her job was to teach them English, but that's not especially easy to do when you don't know much Spanish.  Regardless of the language barrier, she bonded and fell in love with these girls.
 
 
 
Here she is with her roommate, Genevieve, who arrived at the same time as Kate and just left for home last week.  Genevieve is from Boston, but volunteers came from numerous countries, and friends were made from all over the world.


There was a lot of sight seeing on weekends with a trip to Sacred Valley . . . 
 
 
 
. . . a jungle trek to Machu Picchu 
 
 
 
 
 
. . . a trip to Bolivia to see Lake Titicaca
 
 
. . . the world's largest salt flat - Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
 
 
 
. . . and a trip to the jungle.
 
 
Fun times.
 
 
The second part of her time there she worked at a daycare center and had tons of fun with the kids.
 
 
 
Last, but not least, was a trip to Lima to meet aunts, uncles, and cousins.  This may have been the high light of her trip to meet the family she never knew and see beautiful Lima on the Pacific Ocean.
 
 
Welcome home Kate, my daughter and best friend!  So glad to have you back.  Lots of yard sales and flea markets waiting for us to explore.

9 comments:

Art and Sand said...

Tears in my eyes as I read - many memories brought back.

My husband and I were in the Peace Corps in Jamaica in the early 70s. We honestly feel that we are the people we are today because of that experience.

I admire Kate and envy her the time in Peru.

Enjoy having your daughter home again,

Stacey said...

Wow, what an amazing experience! I'm sure your daughter will never forget her time there. She is beautiful, by the way!

Michele M./ Finch Rest said...

Oh Cindy, how grand! What an experience for her!

Love these pics - thanks for sharing - so beautiful, she AND the surroundings she was able to see in person.

I am only sorry that we had months to get together and have not yet done so - because now your "buddy" is back and it will be even less of a chance. Dang. Oh well.

Maybe I will see you out thrifting, though I don't really do garage sales much.

WELCOME HOME, KATE!

Linda P said...

The whole experience must have been life-changing. So glad she could meet
up with family members as well. Beautiful photos of that special time. Enjoy having your lovely, caring daughter back home again!

My Garden Diaries said...

I am at a loss for words right now friend. Your daughter is absolutely beautiful inside and out. In every single one of her photos you can see pure joy coming from her smile! So authentic and real and the fact that she went here and volunteered.... Well that is so much more than most kids do at her age! I am so glad she is back home with you this weekend and that she had a wonderful trip full of adventure! You have taught her well mama!!!! What an awesome post! God bless you both!!! Nicole xoxo

Christine @ Rustic-Refined said...

Oh wow! I know as a Mom I would have been nervous too about my daughter travelling that far away too but I am glad things are going well. And she is going to remember this for a lifetime :-)

Lucille said...

Hi Cindy! You have a lovely daughter. You must be so proud of her as she seems very accomplished for her age! Sorry I have not been around much these days. I have not been reading blogs as much. Wishing you a lovely summer with your daughter!

Bill and Mary Glidden said...

Hi friend who I have been terrible about keeping in touch with! Please forgive me.

Wow what a wonderful opportunity for Kate- I wish everyone could experience a trip like this - how much more thankful of a country we would have when people realize how blessed we are here in the USA. And yet I think Peru is one of the "happiest" place on earth according to something I read.

We have been so busy but it has been good-

bee blessed
mary

( I cannot get in to my mary's meanderings blog so am using our ministry one to leave a comment)

Judy Hartman said...

How proud you must be of your daughter, Cindy. What a beautiful and unselfish young woman! My daughter is also a Kate and we, too, are the best of friends. I hope you will have (or have had) a very happy reunion!!

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