Reflections from medicine, theology, and life
A lot of you have asked me to write about my experiences at Vive Peru, so here is a general overview of the program, my experience, and my thoughts! I spent a lot of time comparing volunteer programs -- I was looking for an organization that promoted sustainable action within under-served communities, and a location... Continue Reading →
Working in hospital here in Trujillo has given me a unique opportunity to meet many people on a personal level, quickly. As such, I've been able to see a lot of vulnerability and honesty not typically afforded to a person you meet on the streets. In honor of Thanksgiving being last week, here are... Continue Reading →
Some reflections on neurosurgery: Instead of hearing Mozart gently playing while the surgeon quietly sat at the head of the operating table, as I had always imagined neurosurgery, two surgeons stood towering over the patient, the hum of the craniotome (a high-powered drill) drowning out all other noises in the room. My first neurosurgery was... Continue Reading →
Quechua is one of the three official languages of Peru, and is commonly found in the Andes mountains as it is historically associated with the Incan civilization. Quechua differs drastically between the mountain villages, so a Quechua speaker from Cuzco may not be able to understand a Quechua speaker from Huaraz. It is also entirely... Continue Reading →
The second week of October, the VivePeru office was on spring break! Although I miss the fall, and everyday I wish I was drinking hot chocolate and eating pumpkin pie, this spring break was one for the books. Before we left, we were tentatively planning on going to Ecuador for the week. However, I came... Continue Reading →
This past weekend, we hopped on a bus and visited an enchanting mountain city called Cajamarca. In Cajamarca, there are pre-Incan ruins, a farm that produces some of the best cheese you'll ever taste, and a downtown that will sweep you off your feet in approximately 7 seconds. We left Friday afternoon, and arrived to... Continue Reading →
My dad called me the other day and asked why I haven't posted on the blog. The answer is three-fold. 1) I forgot. 2) I can't bring my camera out of my house, so I have almost no pictures. 3) I've been struggling to find a way to present Trujillo in a fair, unbiased way,... Continue Reading →
Yesterday was my first day at the hospital, and it's taken me until now to form articulate thoughts about the experience. It was just so different from anything I've ever experienced! When I arrived, they assigned me to the Emergency Room. I recently spent some time shadowing in an Emergency Room in Waco, so I... Continue Reading →
Llegamos a Trujillo!!! We arrived in Trujillo! There's a ton I want to tell y'all, so here is part 1 of 2 about our time in Trujillo. On Tuesday we took an overnight bus from Lima to Trujillo, arriving at about 7:30am, and then took a taxi to our house. Have I mentioned how horrendous... Continue Reading →
Kristen's side of the story: It all started with a llama sweater. I had been looking at these sweaters when I first arrived in Cusco, but they were all so pretty I couldn't choose just one. Since we originally thought our trek was 4 days, not 5, we thought I would have a full day... Continue Reading →
Well With Kristen Noelle 