What if your university internship could change your life? Hear Ana's experience!

Ana is studying Tourism and History at the Juan Carlos I University in Madrid and decided to do her undergraduate studies. university internships with us in the educational centre we support in Cusco. From there he tells us about his experience:

"It all started through the external internships of my university. I remember that morning when I clicked on the "send my internship application" button and on a little box that said "send my internship application". Tumaini Travels. I didn't know what I was in for.

I received an email from Almudena and Monica that made me feel at home. We met up, had a nice conversation and decided that the educational centre and the hostel in Cusco would be suitable for my externship.

And so it was. As soon as I arrived in Lima, I knew that it would be a incredible experience. After a smooth journey, I arrived in Cusco and there I was picked up by Chio, a great professional, close, and predisposed to help you, a companion, in short.

When I arrived at the hostel everything surprised me, it was as if this small place had collected all the dreams of all its inhabitants and had captured them in the new home of each one of them.

Everyday life in Cusco

My day-to-day life is full of experienceshugs, confidences and surprises, laughter... I start by getting up between 7 and 7:30 (my mother is in charge of getting me up 😛 ) and go downstairs for breakfast. Already at breakfast you realise that we form a big familyWhen Pia says good morning and Royer, Iyari, Carmencita (my little cousin, hahaha) welcome you with their best smile.

Later, at 8 o'clock, I start my internship at the reception of the hostel. There, Pía (my tutor, colleague and friend) explains to me how I can help. I am with her until 11 o'clock, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I do an aerobics session for all the hostel mates.

From 11 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. I have free timeI take advantage of it to go for a walk around Cusco, to get to know its streets, its people, its life, in short, to lose myself in its nooks and crannies and enjoy it in all its splendour.

"I enjoy Cusco in all its splendour".

At 14:30 I go up to the educational centre, where I children greet you with a smile and hugs that would turn a bad day around for anyone. At 3pm I'm with another colleague in the zumba workshop. There we work on musicomotricity with the children, rhythm, body expression, teamwork... we always try to make it a place of escape where they can move freely without complexes, fears or worries.

Then we all go together to the circle of love, which is a place of expression, listening, friendship, family... and later we divide into families. My family is kalpa which means (strength of heart) and there every week we work on a theme. At the beginning it was difficult for me to be in direct and close contact with my family, who are used to Spanish education and schools, as we are only 6 children. But we are happier every dayunited, and we form a great team.

This week they are playing songs in English, as last week they played Krishnaism, and we have decided to work on English through a Maori Haka and as my family is very restless and always want to be learning new things, we have agreed to start learning the Braille language.

Sometimes we decide to discover new places of Peruvian gastronomy, and other days we decide to stay for dinner there, where Maria does a wonderful job. Depending on the night, we play games, meditate, go out to Changoo, Temple... and then we go to sleep.

I sleep in a room of 10, I thought it would cost me, but it's so great the "Mama Quilla" room that I wouldn't change it for anything, we form a big family.

There is also time for leisure

On weekends, I use them to go to sightseeingBut until August I won't go on any typical sightseeing tours because my friends from Madrid are coming and so I do it with them. So I usually go to do trekking (places I wouldn't go if I were just a tourist) with hostel mates and their friends, meals with other associations, pachamancas (cooking under a hot stone), etc.

In short, I have learned to relax, to enjoy the small details, not to worry so much about tomorrow, and above all to share your life, your joys and your sorrows".