First day off + Amazing food + Beach = ONE GREAT DAY!

Alright, alright. I apologize. I haven't posted in a while...and I really am sorry! I have just been so busy and haven't had a good amount of time to sit down and write! This post might be long, but there are pictures at the bottom...SO START READING! :]

Let me start with my great day yesterday! At the Hogar, each volunteer is allowed one day off a week and I took my first day off in a month yesterday. It was hard getting me out the door (I really felt bad leaving the children!) but it was a wonderful day :] Two other volunteers, Amber and Alexa, and I took the trek into Lima to be tourists for the day. We first stopped by this hotel for having a famous "catedral pisco sour" (a huge glass of pisco sour) and we put a plan together for our day. Obviously, I wasn't much help with my indecisiveness or my lack of direction. We then stopped by the Plaza de Armas and saw the changing of the guard. Ohh....it only gets better from here.

I have been dying to see the Iglesia de San Francisco (Church of St. Francis) so we went to the Church and got the official tour (in spanish...duh) and got to see the catacombs! I wanted to steal one of the bones in the catacombs sooooooo bad, but would feel guilty if I did...so no bone souvenirs. I really wish I would have stolen that dumb bone though...

Amazing Food...of course food porn pictures are at the bottom! We went to this restaurant that was recommended to us in the center of Lima called L'eau Vive. It is a well kept secret french restaurant run entirely by nuns! We walked in to the restaurant unsure of what to expect, but yes we were greeted by nuns who barely spoke any spanish or english...just french! I had the most amazing steak with fries (the best steak I have ever had), onion soup and profiteroles for dessert. SO AMAZING. Half way through I said I was having a love affair with my food and the other girls agreed. By the end of the meal, I was so full and we didn't even eat dinner later that night because we were so stuffed!

We then took a bus to Miraflores (the beach section of Lima) and I got to see the beach! If you know me, I have an obsession for the beach and I almost started crying when I heard the waves crash, the smell of salt and the sound of the water. I bought 4 pairs of traditional "peru pants", pajama like pants that are to die for comfy, and basically had the best day ever. Of course...more things happened, but those are just the highlights! :] LOVIN' LIFE. Although, I did fell like a 40 year old school teacher that only knows how to talk about her students during conversation. I was constantly thinking about the kids, wondering what they were doing and what I was missing. I even made a slightly true joke that I wanted to go home early to see the kids before they went to bed. hahahaha :] Leaving these children in May is going to be ridiculously hard!

On another note, one of the babies who was seen here for treatment for a few weeks, passed away yesterday. Her name was Evelyn and she was only 3 months old. Evelyn was brought in by her family to the Hogar because she was in congestive heart failure. She was born with her heart on the right side of her body instead of her left and was being taken in to the hospitals in Lima for numerous tests. Her mother, a traditional Peruvian of the mountains who barely spoke any Spanish only Quechua, thought that Evelyn wasn't being treated well here at the Hogar. The mother thought she had developed a cough while being here because she wasn't being bundled properly (Peruvians wrap their children in 4,000 layers), although the cough was due to her heart failure. The Doctor warned the family that if she went home, especially back to the altitude of the mountains, she would most certainly die. But they took her back anyway. Evelyn passed away yesterday. Please keep her family in your prayers and be thankful for everyday you are given.

Little Baby Evelyn...always in my heart <3

On a more positive note! I am going to the Amazon jungle and river on Monday with 2 other volunteers, Leah and Amber! We will be staying in Iquitos, Peru for 4 days. Iquitos is the largest city in the Amazon rainforest and is located on the Amazon river. We will be staying on a water hostel that looks picture perfect for all 4 nights but hope to float down the river one night. I am very very very excited for the jungle and will definitely take lots of pictures and post them here when we return! We hope to go zip lining, sleep on hammocks, eat mangoes, listen to music, sleep, eat, drink and have an amazing time! 

I don't even know how to explain how much I love it here. I spoke a while ago of defining moments. We all have defining moments, moments out of the ordinary that light a fire inside of you. But, it's what you choose to do with the defining moment that sets the ordinary apart from the extraordinary. I decided in April that I wasn't going to let someone live my life for me. I bought a plane ticket for 9 months with my best friend on June 21st. I hopped on a plane on August 29th to Peru. I followed my heart here to the Hogar on September 20th. I made a commitment to myself at a very young age that I would change the world. All defining moments that I listened, learned and took action from. I have never had that single "eureka"moment people talk about. But I have learned to recognize a defining moment and live within it. After being here at the Hogar with these amazing children, solely existing isn't an option. I want to commit my life to service and be the best person I can be everyday. I have and always will be a true liver and lover of life, embracing every defining moment!

Love,

Teaner :]

OUR LIVES A SERIES OF DEFINING MOMENTS, STRUNG TOGETHER BY PASSING TIME. SURRENDER FULLY TO THIS MOMENT, BECAUSE IT IS NOT THE MOMENT ITSELF THAT DEFINES US, BUT HOW WE CHOOSE TO LIVE IN IT.