I spent a lot of time trying to picture what my semester in Peru would actually look like. I knew I would be living in Cusco, taking classes in Spanish, and doing independent research. Beyond that, though, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Looking back, there were plenty of things that surprised me that I would love to share with you…
I wish I’d known how quickly Cusco would feel familiar
When I first arrived in Cusco, I felt like I was constantly checking Google Maps. I didn’t know where anything was, every street looked unfamiliar, and I was always discovering something new.
By the end of the semester, I had favorite cafés, go-to study spots, and routes through the city that I could walk without thinking— which made Cusco feel much more like home than I ever expected.
Looking back, it’s strange how quickly a place can go from feeling completely unfamiliar to becoming part of your routine. By the end of the semester, it became a city where I went to class, worked on my research project, met up with friends, and spent countless afternoons exploring.
I wish I’d known how much history would become part of my everyday life
One of the reasons I was excited to study in Cusco was its history, but I didn’t realize how often I would encounter it in my day to day life.
Walking through the city meant passing Inca walls, colonial churches, and historic plazas on a regular basis. The picture on the left is from my walk to class – the Cusco Cathedral!
This became even more interesting once I started my research project on how Peruvian primary schools teach national history. Suddenly, the history I was studying and the history I was surrounded by in Cusco started to feel connected.
I wish I’d known how much of Peru I would get to experience
I chose my program partly because of the travel element, but I still didn’t realize how much of Peru I would actually get to see.
Instead, one of my favorite parts of the program was having the opportunity to travel throughout Peru as part of my coursework. During the semester, my cohort visited 
communities around Lake Titicaca, spent time in the Amazon rainforest, and learned from people living in different regions of the country.
Each place felt completely different from the last. Every trip gave me a new perspective and reminded me how difficult it is to describe Peru as just one thing.
By the end of the semester, I had seen so much more of the country than I ever expected to.
I wish I’d known how much learning happens outside the classroom
Some of the most memorable parts of my semester weren’t lectures or assignments.
One of the experiences that stands out most was spending time on Taquile Island in Lake Titicaca. During our stay, we lived with local families and had the opportunity to participate in daily life on the island.
One morning, that meant helping work in a chakra, or family agricultural plot. It wasn’t something I ever expected to be doing when I signed up to study abroad, but experiences like that gave me a much deeper understanding of the communities we were learning about than any reading could have.
Whether I was conducting interviews for my research project, visiting schools, or spending time with families on Taquile, some of the most valuable lessons came from experiences that happened outside of a traditional classroom setting.
Looking back, that’s one of the things I appreciated most about the program. Learning wasn’t limited to lectures or assignments — it happened through conversations, experiences, and the opportunity to engage directly with the places and people we were studying.
I wish I’d known how quickly the semester would end
This is probably the most predictable thing anyone can say about studying abroad, but it’s true.
At the beginning of the semester, four months felt like a long time. Suddenly, I was finishing my research paper, taking final photos around Cusco, and trying to squeeze in all the things I wanted to do one last time.
What surprised me most wasn’t just how quickly the time passed, but how full it felt. The people I met through my program became a huge part of my life, and by the end, saying goodbye to friends who had been there for every trip, class, and random weekend plan felt unreal.
It’s funny how quickly a place can become part of your life.
When I arrived in Peru, I was focused on everything I hoped to learn. Looking back, I’m grateful for all the experiences I never could have planned for, the places I visited, the people I met, and the moments that became part of everyday life before I even realized it.
If you’re considering studying abroad, my advice is simple: go for it. You never know what will end up becoming your favorite part of the experience!
