Today is Peru’s independence day!

It’s a big holiday in Peru, as in the United States. We would dress in red and white and go watch parades. One time we got to see the President of Peru drive by in one of the parades! That was exciting.

This month marked 8 years since I moved back to the States from Peru. I can’t believe it’s been that long. Pretty soon (next summer) I will have been back longer than I was living there. I miss living there a lot of times; I wish we could go back to visit more often. I want to take Paul places, see more of Peru than just Lima. I like reconnecting with all my MK friends from Peru on Facebook… Those friendships, those people I grew up with, a country that we all share. There’s a comfortable “home” feeling there.

So how does one celebrate Peruvian Independence Day? (Also known as “el 28 de julio“.) For dinner you should make a typical Peruvian dish, like Lomo Saltado (Look! Here’s the recipe!). To drink you could open up the soft drink, Inca Kola. It’s a Peruvian soda that is bright yellow and tastes like bubble gum. (I hated it until I came back to the States, and now it reminds me of home.) If you’re looking for a less bubbly drink, I recommend getting some chicha morada. It’s made from purple corn and is sweet. Sometimes it also has bits of apples and cinnamon in it too! Mmmm. Be careful though – in a lot of areas in Peru it’s a fermented drink!

If you’re not up for cooking a Peruvian meal, you could always check out a local Peruvian restaurant!

A few years ago I wrote up a post about 10 things you probably didn’t know about Peru. (Check out #5!)

I also wrote this short story about one of my last few days living in Peru, before I left and went to college in Indiana.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Peruvian day!