November 2005, September 2016, March 2018

The jungle to the glaciers to the desert to the coast.

Peru undeniably has some of the most varied geography in the world, with most climates found here. It's also rich in culture, fully accessible to Spanish-speakers, and a favorite amongst most world travellers.

Peru is special to me because it was the first time I went abroad, at age 16 in 2005. I came back to the US three weeks later horribly sick, ended up getting diagnosed with celiac disease, and committed to reaching Spanish fluency. It kicked off my world travels, too.

I've been back several times. I can't say I love this country - it's got some fairly dangerous parts, it's dirty, the government is corrupt, and the people are a little too eager for tourist dollars. But it is definitely filled with adventure.