New Years in Peru

New Years Eve

New Years Eve just wasn't the same for me because I hadn't been feeling well for awhile and I also was missing home quite a bit. It's tough having a holiday away from your loved ones, that is one thing I have found out. Corey if you ever read this, which I'm sure you won't, I missed you a ton on New Years Eve, I really am trying to believe that it won't be a new year until I get home! Anywho, it was a tough night but I watched a everyone dance and drink for awhile. Then Charlotte and I retreated to our room to just kind of talk about the year as a whole and then talk about what we are looking forward to in the new year. I am looking forward to a lot of changes but all good ones. I can't wait to just start a brand new semester and just be happy and no more worries. This trip has taught me a lot about just taking things day by day and not being so caught up in the things you cannot change. We ended up going to bed around 11:00pm on New Years Eve which seems silly but it was the best thing for me. I got such a good night of sleep and I woke up in the best mood possible. Definitely a great start to a new year waking up to a gorgeous sunrise in the Amazon. I can't quite complain about that.

New Years Day

Waking up on new years day in a different country was a new experience for sure but it was a good one for that matter. We had a quick breakfast around 10:00am then it was off on our hike! Exactly what I should be doing in a place like this just experiencing the area. We took a million pictures but it would take forever to upload them onto here now so I will post a bunch after the trip.  We had about a 40min drive to the opening of the trail and then about an hour hike. Trust me the hike was worth it. The views that we got to see, the different plants, and creepy little crawlers all made it worth it. We were climbing over rocks, through the river, and up steep enbankments. It was a blast seriously, I can't describe the feeling of finally being able to explore the Amazon.  When we finally arrived at the waterfall I lost my breath. It was absolutely beautiful.

We got to play in the water and in the waterfall all afternoon. It was seriously so freeing and just plain fun. It was exactly what I wanted to be doing here in Peru and I'm so happy that we were able to do it. Plus the cooks here made us the BEST "leaf" lunch you could have. As many of you probably have no idea what a leaf lunch is, they literally packed our food up in a leaf. That way we could just put the excess contents and the leaf back into the forest without causing any harm to it. Very "green". It was probably one of the coolest things I have ever gotten to eat from. After lunch we basically packed up and started our retreat back to the mainland. The hike back seemed to fly by but it was still a ton of fun. I really wish I could explain the sights and everything but the pictures will have to do the talking once I get them on this computer.

The rest of the night was filled with just talking and relaxing because it was a free night and it was just nice to finally have time to just relax. I got to skype with Corey which was amazing, even though he looked like a blob because this internet is so slow. I love how technology has made traveling just that much easier and less disconnected. Though sometimes I wish I could become more disconnected it was so nice to finally see his face and hear his voice. It will still be another two weeks until I'm home so I have awhile to wait to see everyone in person. I'm excited to be here though and things just keep getting better!

Feliz Ano Nuevo! Te amo <3