Social Interaction: Duke Meets Vandy

         I needed the Peruvians to help me find my friend. I walked through the crowded celebrations of Corpus Christi to the Limacpampa bus stop, consulting around 8 locals to guide me there. After jumping on the bus and paying 70 centimos, I anxiously texted my friend, Davis Lovvorn, on my Peruvian phone to make sure I was on the right track. At it turns out, I was. I took the bus 5 exits to Magisterio and met my friend. It was such a small world to be in the same place at the same time, and we were pumped to see each other. While catching up on life, we walked to his homestay and his family treated me with great hospitality, serving a delicious lunch of potato soup, and a bread roll with meat and veggies on the inside almost like a Shepherds Pie. 
       After lunch, Davis and I walked around the Magisterio neighborhood and ventured over to a fancy mall in Magisterio that included a movie theatre, Starbucks, Bembos, Pinkberry, and many other American attractions. Davis' host family included a 27 year-old named Eduardo, and 24 year-old named Daniela, and 4 very cute dogs. Davis and I then took the bus to Casa Elena, and I introduced him to a few members of my group. 
        We caught up on all things college basketball and talked about the goings-on on the Hill that is our high school, Montgomery Bell Academy.  We passed the Corpus Christi festivities again on the way back, which were still in full swing. The Plaza was jam-packed and it was hard to move through. It was cool for Davis to meet Profe, who got his Ph.D from Duke and also taught there.
      All things considered it was nice to get away from our group for a day and meet up with one of my best friends from high school. Not only was it interesting to rely on the Peruvian public to help me get to where my friend was staying, but it was also neat for him to meet some of Vanderbilt's students. It was a great day filled with social observations and interactions from the crowded celebrations of Corpus Christi and between students from two of the top universities in the United States.