Well I Can't Forget All the Little People

If I had to write a thank you speech for an award (that I probably deserve), it would be really long and obnoxious and go something like this...

Grandma-Thank you for sharing your love of travel with me and for giving me the money to actually participate in this trip. I love you so much!

Mom and Dad-Thank you guys for saying yes when I asked if I could go to Peru and for basically packing my bags and pushing me out the door before I even thought about having second thoughts.

Monica-Thank you so much for sharing your culture with us and being the best dialogue leader anyone could ask for.

Michaela-Thanks for being one of my best friends on the trip, for late night (or anytime of day actually) food binges, and for helping assemble THE BEST megabed Peru has ever seen.

Brandon-Thanks for sitting next to me slash being my partner in class at El Sol and for secretly being one of the sassiest people I've ever met.

Sam-Thanks for being the unofficial trip photographer, always having a smile on your face and for some awesome early morning runs.

Kelly- Thanks for always being ready for a good time and for always laughing at my (somewhat terrible) jokes.

Erika-Thanks for being so sweet and happy and nice and brightening my day pretty much everyday. Oh and for that corn, potato thing you let me have for lunch on the last day of UNIFE.

Luke-Thanks for having more energy with no sleep than should be humanly possible and for providing hydration for all of us.

Nate-Thanks for being one of the biggest nuts I've ever met, for the non-stop laughs and for having an awesome attitude about the entire experience.

Elan-Thanks for making me feel really cool when you gave me the nod and for completely being yourself this entire trip. (P.S. Twist in January?)

Sabrina-Thanks for all the horse stories.

Caitlin-Thanks for all the positive energy and for some awesome runs along el Malecón.

Jonah-Thanks for sharing your frisbee and having the SECOND BEST megabed in Peru.

Grant-Thanks for sitting next to me on that first Mirabus ride and for spending a nice long afternoon in the Lima airport.

Donal-Thanks for all the fun facts about North Carolina, a state you clearly love.

Daniel-Thanks for taking one for the team and volunteering to be our designated group speaker.

Dan Von Staats-Thanks for sitting next to me on the bus ride home from Machu Picchu and for some great chats during Andres's and Romeo's classes.

Megan-Thanks for being a fellow chica in Spanish class and sharing the duty of reading the girl parts in Andres's dialogues.

Christina-Thanks for having some awesome one-liners and just in general being on the same page with me with a lot of the jokes.

Maddy-Thanks for sharing a room with me for 9(ish) days and being one of the top two roommates I ever had in Peru.

Jessie-Thanks for sharing some hilarious slash entertaining meals with Maddy, our family and me and, of course, for being one of the top two roommates I ever had in Peru.

Madison-Thanks for being so free spirited and fun and for taking charge when someone needed to.

Darek-Thanks for being the group's resident salsa expert and teaching me some moves.

Katie Langford-Thanks for complimenting my outfits in the morning even though it was really you who looked gorgeous everyday. 

Katie Masterson-Thanks for sharing two awesome train rides to and from Machu Picchu with me.

Kiki-Thanks for sharing your killer hooping skills especially on the roof of our first Cusco hotel.

Claire-Thanks for being a fellow veg-head and helping me order a vegetarian friendly meal in the restaurant on the way home from Ica.

Erin-Thanks for the awesome dinner stories the last night in Miraflores and for getting super hyped up about Machu Picchu with me on that very curvy bus ride.

Marcos-Thanks for never ceasing to make me laugh and the terrible jokes. Also, thanks for hanging out with me in December in Maryland. (That's a future thank you, but it WILL happen)

Emma-Thanks for sitting next to me on both flights on the way to Peru and having some serious ginger bonding.

Steph-Thanks for sitting with me at Norky's for that first lunch and for giving Maddy some smack slash hating on that long one lane road that goes to Chariho High School.

Henry-Thanks for being from Maryland and truly representing B4LT1M0RE the right way.

Ross-Thanks for being full of energy and rocking Darek's poncho all day on Machu Picchu.