Feliz Dia de Dar Gracias! One year ago I would never have expected to be spending Thanksgiving in the mountains of Peru. I woke up Thanksgiving morning on an overnight bus arriving into Huaraz, Ancash, a beautiful mountainous region of Peru about 11 hours south of Trujillo. Ancash is considered one of the premier mountain climbing destinations in South America, and the snow covered peaks surrounding the city were proof. We were greeted in a happy reunion by other Peace Corps volunteers who live in the department of Ancash and began our Thanksgiving by enjoying an Americanized breakfast at an awesome local cafe. We spent the rest of the day exploring the city. Our hostel was located downtown and we could see the white topped peaks from our room. We ventured to “Old Huaraz” which is the only remaining section of the city that remains intact after the earthquake in 1970. We followed the narrow streets and admired the homes with white facades and red tiled roofs as children shouted “hello” to the misplaced gringos. We continued to the mirador, which provided an awesome aerial view of Huaraz and mountains in the background.
Although we’re saving our large, traditional Thanksgiving feast for Saturday, we decided we would cook a comforting American meal to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. We raided the Peruvian grocery store and found the ingredients to cook delicious pizzas, macaroni and cheese, fruit salad, and fudge brownies. Cooking was a cooperative event, and we each had our own job; whether it be playing DJ, watching water boil, or preparing the actual food. The preparation and dinner turned into a dance party and sing-a-long as we enjoyed each other’s company and one of the most unique Thanksgivings I’ll probably ever experience. 
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