HAN University of Applied Sciences
How unreal it felt to travel to the other side of the world before I left, how unreal it feels right now that the semester is over in just one week. However, that only means one thing: I had the time of my life in Peru, thanks to UP.
I traveled to Lima from the Netherlands, without any real expectations and without speaking the language. Although I was a bit prepared, when I arrived, I was shocked by the traffic. But, while driving from the airport to my home in Miraflores, we passed the Costa Verde, and I decided that I wouldn’t have trouble living in this city for 5 months.
I feel very blessed to meet and work with people from all over the world. It got me really enthusiastic about working in a multi-cultural environment during my career. This is a once in a lifetime change which I’m very glad I took. Everybody always says you come back as a different person after your exchange, and I can do nothing but confirm this.
During my stay I lived in Miraflores, which is one of the nicest neighborhoods in Lima! It’s a little further from University (mostly because of the traffic), but I feel really save and there are a lot of nice bars, restaurants and shops. Also, it is easy and cheap to take the bus from Miraflores to UP and this makes you live the real Peruvian experience.
After four days in Lima, school started. Immediately when I entered UP, I felt very welcome. I really think the university does an effort to help you, let you integrate and of course let you live your best life in Peru.
Although Lima is not bad to spent some time, Peru has so much more to offer. The last few months I’ve been amazed by the beauty of the country. It is the most diverse place I have ever seen and it won’t bore you. I wish I had more time to discover the culture, landscapes and all the food.
If you decided to come to Peru (which I can only recommend), you really have to enjoy every second. The semester is over in a heartbeat! Further, I would recommend you to learn some basics in Spanish before you come and when you arrive, put an effort in learning the language! It really helps you to make the most out of your experience. Enjoy!
