I have now lived in Perú for over ten months, splitting my time between Lima and the region of Áncash. I spent three months in Lima for training and have now lived in Áncash for over seven months of my two years of service. Even though these regions are in the same country, they feel very different. The landscapes, daily lifestyle, food and even language change from place to place. For example, in my town, many people speak Quechua as their first language, not Spanish.
As I moved from the United States to Lima and then to Áncash, the food I eat every day changed a lot. However, one thing that stayed the same was how important food is for bringing people together. I share breakfast, lunch, and dinner with my host family every day. Lunch and dinner usually have three parts: an entrée, a soup and then lonche, which usually includes tea and bread. While we eat, we talk about our day, share stories from before I arrived in Perú, and sometimes my family even teaches me new words in Quechua.
One important part of food in my community is the comedor popular, where my host mom is the president.
