They call the city "Lima la Gris" for a reason.

My first week in Peru was filled with grey skies, chilly weather, and the warmth of experiencing something totally new. On the precipice of this experience, I was caught up in all the things I didn't know: many of the details of my project, what my days would be filled with, who I would meet and share this experience with, how I would feel about being in a new place. By the end of the experience, I found that I had encouraging answers to a number of these. I learned I would be well-fed with ceviche, lomo saltado, pollo a la brasa, and passionfruit galore. I met some incredibly driven, fascinating scholars who are already shaping the person I want to be while I pursue the aims of my project. And, of course, I learned about the project itself.

Of all the things I learned, the details specific to my project have been the most exciting and motivating. I learned the importance of asking questions to better understand the needs of a community very different from those I have experience with. After all, good intentions only go so far. I learned also the importance of design thinking, of brainstorming and workshopping ideas before prematurely putting them into action. And I learned about Quechua, about Peru's second-most widely-spoken language and root of the cultural heritage of so many Peruvians. I learned that Quechua faces many challenges and that one of the biggest is a lack of recognition and interest in the language family both inside and outside the country of Peru. I learned that parents in many areas have ceased to teach their children Quechua for fears that it isn't useful for them in today's society, and that this extends to the Quechua diaspora and has left many across the world without access to a key part of their ancestral culture. But I also learned that I would have the opportunity to work with an organisation called Saphi and its incredible team to promote Quechua and fight for a world in which the language stays a vibrant part of Peruvian life, even for those across the world. I met the other scholars I would be working with and began the task of raising awareness of Quechua and the mission of Saphi. "Saphi" is a Quechua word meaning "root" and this week was the root of my next 5 weeks in Lima.

Challenges abounded, but were all manageable and, dare I say, joyous. My eyes always take a while to adjust to a new place, and Lima was no different. Cultural norms different from my own, a language (or, should I say 2, including Quechua) I don't speak well, and long hours spent working with and getting to know new people all led to collapsing on the bed at the end of every day completely drained. And yet, each morning, I would rise again refreshed and ready for more. By the end of the week I was more adventurous, more willing to walk around and see more of the area in and beyond my neighborhood of Miraflores. And in venturing more, my eyes were awakened to the beauty of this city, to the flowers blooming even in midwinter, to the parks and people atop cliffs overlooking the sea. The food, the people, and my curiosity kept my energy up even with the thick blanket of clouds that sits atop Lima every day during the winter months. A yoga class brought me back to an old passion, exciting conversations reminded me of the joy of socialising, and learning more about Quechua and Peru made me feel profoundly grateful to have the opportunity to experience a new place and play some small part in the important work going on there.

In short, this week answered a load of questions and left me hungry to answer more. Challenges were faced, but they were trifling in comparison to the satisfaction which comes with adapting to a new place. I had not previously been to Latin America and my eyes took time to adapt. But with every bar of salsa music, every whiff of churro, every seaside vista, and every emboldening challenge, I became more and more excited about what my eyes were seeing right before them and what they would be able to see for five more exciting weeks ahead in the beautiful and surprising "Lima the Grey".