From Dec. 27, 2023–Jan. 15, 2024, I was on a study abroad program to the country of Peru. During these 2.5 weeks, I had the opportunity to involve myself in many exceptional experiences that broadened my worldview and developed me as a person. The sights, events and situations I encountered were all amazing in their own way. However, of these, our day in Pacchanta, Peru stands out the most.

Pacchanta is a small village roughly a three-hour drive from Cusco — the city we were staying in. Upon arrival, the community president welcomed us into his home with open arms. This was my first real look into the more rural parts of Peru. His home was among five homes on a sloped, mountain field. All of these homes consisted of dirt floors, thatch and plastic roofs, and a single room that contained a kitchen and a bed. Among these several homes, there was a single building acting as a restroom that contained only a hole in the ground. This was my first real look at Peru, and in all honesty, it was beautiful.

For the next several hours I made hot chocolate for the local children. Starting from scratch, I used chocolate, fresh cow’s milk and several other random ingredients. Upon serving the hot chocolate to roughly 70 kids, I could actively see the joy of the experience on their faces. Opposite to my own perception, Peru does not have a strong culture of eating chocolate. This is due to a chocolate intolerance that many Peruvians are born with. As a result, this was a unique experience for many of the children and parents, particularly from that community. After, the community served us a delicious homemade lunch.

Throughout this entire day, I had the opportunity to see the kindness of local people firsthand. They welcomed us into their culture and treated us as their own. Even in vastly different living circumstances, which we would consider absolute poverty in the U.S., the people of Pacchanta were happy. Whether it was the mountain view, food or the people of Pacchanta, everything seen on that day was a tremendous experience — one others should attempt to pursue.

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: Global Service and Health Science Internship in Peru