We’re Going to Peru

Well, it’s that time of the year, and we are headed to Peru.  For the past 19 years, my parents have gone on a volunteer vacation to a developing country to do some good.  For the past 12 years they have organized these trips themselves.  Well……mostly my dad has organized the trips because he loves doing that.  I have gone with them for 10 years and have served as Dad’s “secretary” throughout the organizing stage. (The photos are from past volunteer vacations.)

If you are new here, let me give you some background info on what I’m talking about.  My parents started out 19 years ago doing an annual volunteer trip with Habitat for Humanity.  They went to some amazing countries like New Zealand, Mongolia, South Africa, Costa Rica, Vietnam, and Mexico and worked on building projects.  Then they decided they could probably be a little bit more efficient than Habitat and decided to organize a trip each year on their own.  They invited a bunch of friends, and they still all meet up each year in a third world country and take on a project.

This year we will be working on a school and some apartments for single mothers in Trujillo, Peru.  Our group is made up of 20 people, and we are a very diverse group.  It changes somewhat every year depending on peoples’ schedules and commitments, but it’s pretty much the same people each year.  If someone can’t go one year, then another person or couple is invited in.  And so it goes.  As far as diversity goes, since Little Miss will be going along (she has now been to over 9 countries), our age range will be 4 to 94.  Over the years our group has been made up of married friends, divorced friends, gay friends, straight friends, and the religions are all over the place.  We’ve had Quakers, Mormons, Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Atheists, and Buddhists.  We are from nine states and three countries.  The big news is that we are Democrats and Republicans!  We are proof that everyone can get along.

After we do our work project, we always find something fun to do.  This year we are going to Machu Picchu.  My parents hiked to Machu Picchu a few years ago.  This year we will be taking a train since we have a limited amount of time.  We are all excited to go to such an incredible and historic site.

So, we are leaving for Peru tomorrow, but it will still be business as usual here on the blog.  We will have more room reveals and other goodies, so, please don’t forget about us.  We will also be posting on our Instagram account to let you can follow along with us there.  And when we get home, we will be sure to do a post or two about our experience.  Plus, we will have the kitchen reveal from Mom’s new house.

 

Cheers!