Dear Civic Semester...
Dear Civic Semester,
I cannot believe that it has been two months since I hugged my host family goodbye and left my home in Urubamba. Since then, I’ve repeated the “cliff notes” of my first semester and my spiel about the program too many times to count. I am constantly reminded of the uniqueness of my experience, as every memory I try to share is interrupted by clarifications or preceded by lengthy expositions. The most “picturesque” photos that made it to social media don’t include my favorite moments of the mundane day-to-day. And all this is to say, how do you express your love for something as intangible as the Civic Semester?
When I left Urubamba for the last time and waved goodbye to Ligia and Carlos (the owners of the program house), I promised that I would return. The photos on my desk offer a window into some of my favorite moments abroad, and I hope that this incomplete list of the things I am most grateful for can do the same for you.
1. Trying new things: Like all freshmen, every day of my Fall semester brought some “firsts.” I boarded my first international flight and stepped foot on the other side of the Equator. I hiked for the first time, and the breathtaking mountains of the Sacred Valley set the bar pretty high. I learned how to barter in the fruit market and improvised ways to bake without an oven. My friend Iris reflected on it best: we learned to be comfortable with discomfort, and I think that there is something beautiful about that.
2. My cohort: I could easily write a whole blog devoted to my peers of the Civic Semester. I am so lucky to have gone on this adventure with some of my lifelong friends, and I know that I will be able to count on all 11 of them while at Tufts whether for a wave across Dewick Dining Hall or an elaborate weekend road trip to Vermont. We quickly went from strangers to friends to family in the first few days we knew each other. And each of them will always hold a special place in my heart.
3. El Hogar: During the last half of the program, I spent two days a week at my organization placement named El Hogar Semillas de Jesús. From the moment I stepped into the Hogar (meaning “home for children”), I was greeted by a loud “Buenos tardes” from my colleagues and children alike. By helping kids read, organizing the library, and doing arts and crafts, I grew to love my org and all the children who called it home. It was difficult to say goodbye, but I will always carry what I learned with me.
4. Food: From restaurants in the plaza to home-cooked meals, the Civic Semester included delicious cuisine. While in Peru, the range of foods stretch from crepes and Hawaiin pizza to cuy (guinea pig) and ceviche. As a vegetarian, my go-to’s were cheese empanadas and Arroz Cubana with fried plantains. And I would be amiss if I did not give thanks to the stock of fresh fruit in our home and the never-ending supply of tea.
5. My host family: I cannot express my gratitude for my host family and my love for my two younger brothers. They welcomed me with open arms, and made me feel like a part of their family. Some of my favorite memories from the Civic Semester are traveling to Cusco to go trick-or-treating, eating choclo con queso (corn and cheese) out of plastic bags on the side of the road, and hearing how a six and an eight year old view the world.
6. Rocafuerte: Before host families, the cohort and I lived together in a small hotel named Rocafuerte. It felt like a luxury dorm with private bathrooms and a shared kitchen, but it also doubled as our classroom for our weekly Zoom meetings with Tufts professors. I learned to love cooking and doing laundry at Rocafuerte, things that brought peace and tranquility rather than stress. I’ll forever miss the hammocks at Rocafuerte and the sunsets over the iconic Andes Mountains.
7. Antojito’s: I actually started writing this very blog from my favorite cafe—Antojito’s! Even before my host family took me there for pudin and flan, I would treat myself to a weekly iced coffee while I worked in the garden and pretended that I was having a "normal" first semester of college. It was both my favorite place to escape to or meet up with friends, and slices of delicious chocolate and orange “keke” (cake) only cost one sol!
8. Nature: From the moment we landed in the Sacred Valley, my breath was taken away by the seemingly infinite stretch of mountains. “Apu” is a Quechua term for a Sacred Mountain (usually the highest point of the landscape that protects you from harm), Quechua being the Indigenous language of the Andes. While in Peru, I chose my own Apu: a mountain overlooking our home with “711 DIMA” engraved on the side with cement (an advertising technique here). After a long drive from the neighboring towns, when you see “711,” you know you’re almost home.
9. Aprendiendo Español: Learning to carry a conversation in Spanish is an entirely different level of proficiency than you can pick up in a classroom or by taking a national exam. My language skills improved the most through conversations with my host brothers and children at the Hogar—adding words in both Spanish and Quechua to my vocabulary—and I gained the confidence to speak Spanish in public. This is one of the most invaluable things I learned in the Civic Semester, and a main source of bonding between my cohort.
10. The doors that have been opened (metaphorical, of course): Not only did I learn skills that come with living in a Spanish-speaking country and working at a nonprofit organization, but I also learned more about myself and my values. I had space to grow and the support from my friends and instructors to do it. Living in Urubamba, I could picture a future for myself working abroad and dedicating my life to the Foreign Service. Even with no prior experience, the Civic Semester supplies students willing to make change in the world with the right tools and lessons.
I will never forget this experience, and until I return to Peru, I will hold all these memories close to my heart.
Hasta la próxima,
Teagan
Photo Credit: Jacob Hopkins, Civic Semester Fellow 2023