“Wait, you have a refrigerator?”

Often when you here the word Developing Country, you get all sorts of ideas in your head, which of course was no different from myself. I was determined to bring only the essentials, I would have no cell phone and strongly considered not bringing my laptop. Well here I am, writing this blog entry…on said laptop. 

Just the other day, I was talking on my cell phone (the one I said I wouldn’t have), washing my clothes in my washing machine, and waiting for water to boil so I could make myself some coffee…in my french press. (I know that everyone must think how rough my life is.) There are almost 300 volunteers in Perú, and although it may not be as big as the United States, it is equally as diverse in its terrains. Anything from desert to jungle, mountains to beaches, and a whole lot of Americans scattered like pimples on a college freshman. All of us are in different episodes of the Twilight Zone, so it is always interesting to chat and find out what is going on in there neck of the woods.

So as I am talking with a fellow volunteer I mention what projects I am working on, what volunteer duties I am trying to avoid, and how much I love my local market. We laugh about how my washing machine has come straight out of 1950, maybe even before that since I fill it with water myself. Yet when I mention that I put my leftovers from lunch in the refrigerator, the conversation stops. “Wait, you have a refrigerator?” was her reply. One would think that a refrigerator would come before a washing machine, but we all have our priorities. Needless to say, it is a clear reminder of how different our experiences here all unfold. People call me from a stump next to their school because that is where they have service, or they have family members that enjoy stories of life without hot water. I may be tanning at the beach or eating at a local restaurant while other struggle to learn Quechua and get ready for rainy season.

Daily Dinámica: call your auntie that lives in New York and your cousin that lives in Montana, and your grandma that lives in Florida, and do a little cross comparison what life is like on each and every corner.