Marie, finding a second family during her working holiday in Peru

My name is Marie. I’m a student at Cours Florent studying musical comedy. I was an English teacher for three years.

I left for Peru on my working holiday in January 2023, because I feel very at home in hispanophone cultures. Their culture is vivacious, organic, bubbly, warm and spontaneous… everything that I love! I had already lived in Spain and so I wanted to discover the magic of Latin America. Crossing the ocean, challenging and discovering myself…

I did a Workaway where I lived with a trilingual family for several months. It was super enriching culturally, personally, and linguistically. These people who welcomed me into their home are now a part of my chosen family. The memories we share are unforgettable and our bond is strong. I am very grateful for everything that they taught me and our time spent together.

I also worked as an English teacher at a school in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It taught me a lot about my professional goals.

I also travelled and did a detour to the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, a piece of heaven on Earth.

My WHV allowed me to redefine my values and what truly matters to me in life. Freedom, exchange, authenticity. By freeing myself of a lot of material possessions, I realised how much human emotions and moments shared with strangers can teach us about ourselves and life in general. Some conversations heal and relieve, while others spark and motivate. I’ve understood that being intentionally present and cherishing every moment allows us to live with more intensity and confidence.

This WHV has been a transformative experience that has had lasting impact even in my day to day now. I found a state of adventure and freedom that I hope to imbue into everything that I do.

I went on a beautiful hike with my host family in Calca. The path ended at a waterfall called Sirenachayoc. Beyond this beautiful emerald backdrop nestled in the jungle and mountains, it was the joy of sharing a special family moment that made it most memorable.

I was far from home, but I felt loved in the purest and warmest way. The girls played in the waterfall, we laughed, we splashed. It was pure joy. And then after drying off, we went down the mountain via a path where the view opened up to a panorama of the entire valley. The mountains before us seemed to have faces carved naturally into the rock.

Before the sheer natural beauty, hand in hand with the young daughters, I skipped along the path. Everything was so beautiful that I thought my heart would explode from happiness!

Trust your internal compass! When you travel, your points of reference change. Sometimes you feel lost because everything moves so quickly. In these moments, listen to your intuition. What feels right can help guide us in our decisions. Follow the flow of the moment and stay open to the wonderful surprises it can bring.

Now I’m back in France for my studies in theatre and musical comedy. I’ve been dancing since I was 4 and I want art to be the centre of my life. I will combine this passion with my years of experience as a teacher, and add my artistic touch to break outside of the box. The ultimate goal is to produce plays with youth. And why not also open a school where all these ideas can dance together in harmony!

I’m deathly afraid of spiders. Really. I could jump right on top of a table. During those few months, I found myself nose to nose with tarantulas that students at my school carried in their arms. To not come off as a scaredy cat, I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from screaming. I acted like I wasn’t bothered at all. In the end the experience was therapeutic, evidenced by the fact that I was able to get rid of scorpions in my apartment without shrieking and jumping to the ceiling. Thank you Peru!