Mile 26

Most of you who know me personally know I’ve been back in the States for about a month and a half now. I knew I left Peru with this blog unfinished but I wanted some time to decompress from Peru before revisiting the end of my experience for the blog. Anywho, I’ve successfully decompressed and…

Thank You: From a Black Peace Corps Volunteer to a Black President

On October 11,  2008, I woke up in the middle of the night to stand outside and wait for the Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to speak. I had read all of his books, kept all the important newspaper clippings, obsessively watched CNN, and could tell you random facts like, “Did you know that Senator…

Thanks for Choosing Me – I’m Headed to D.C.

I love writing this blog and sharing fun anecdotes and Peruvian culture with you dear readers. It really has been one of the most fulfilling parts of my service thus far. To be honest, I think the main reason why I joined Peace Corps is because ever since I was little I have always been…

Negrita, Morenita, Sambita.

Are you Black/African American? Are looking to spice up your life with a new adventure? Wouldn’t you just love to be out and about – buying groceries, going to the bank, checking your mail – and be called more or less “little dark girl?”  If so, I’ve got the solution for you! Come right on…

When Cory Tweets Back

  Welp, time to pack it on up and head on home, yall. Service? Fulfilled. Life? Complete.

Throwback Thursday: Kids Named Hitler

For those who know me, its no secret that I love history. As a PCV, I’ve hit the jackpot with a placement in Peru. There’s so many different cultural heritages to learn about and so many great archaeological sites to visit that would make any history buff want to cry. Not to mention, there is so much…

Visiting Kuelap

When most people think of Peru, they immediately think of Machu Picchu not knowing there are so many other amazingly preserved ruins to see. Not to mention, many of these ruins were not constructed by the Incas — the ancient culture that was in power when the Spanish conquistadors arrived. Well last week I took a…

How to Buy a Thanksgiving Turkey in Peru

El Día de Acción de Gracia or Thanksgiving is not a big deal here in Peru. My host family has never celebrated it and they have also said they don’t know anyone else who has celebrated it either. So of course when my site mate said he wanted to organize a Thanksgiving for the volunteers…

The Side Eye

“You weird, dawg.”  That’s exactly what my host mom’s eyes scream every time I do or say something un-Peruvian. Everyday I’m forced to think about how American I am because I’m constantly doing something that’s strange in the Peruvian context. Consequently, I have become most accustomed to the classic side eye. Just in case you’ve…

Swearing In & Settling In

Just like you don’t really get a lot of time during training to process the very real idea that you will be living in some foreign place for 2 years, you also don’t get a lot of time to think about what the Swearing In Ceremony will be like. I’m really not even going to…

How I Survived PST

Here ye!  Here ye! Praise be to both Tupac Amarus because Pre-Service Training is over and out of my life! “But Brittany, Brittany! All of your pictures and blog posts make it seem like you’d been having so much fun.” True enough. Over all I have been having fun but I also haven’t talked much…

Stuff That Happened During Site Visit

Hey ya’ll! Long time no blog! Two weeks ago, I was slippin and I just didn’t write and last week I was on my week long site visit. I meant to take my computer to blog while I was there but I lost my charger in our training center and just found it today. So…