In just over three months, I’ll be boarding a flight to Peru as part of my university’s Corporate Leadership & Sustainability program and honestly, I still can’t fully believe it’s happening.
I’ve been preparing for this trip for months now. Between coursework and a full-time audit internship, I’ve been researching topics like alternative dispute resolution in Peru’s mining communities, the sustainability practices of Peruvian companies, and how international environmental frameworks actually get applied (or don’t) on the ground. It’s been a lot of reading. A lot of PowerPoints. And now, finally, it’s almost time to go see it for real.
What am I nervous about?
Honestly? The logistics. Moving from destination to destination every few days is something I haven’t done before, and there’s a part of me that knows no amount of preparation fully eliminates that uncertainty. But I think that’s also kind of the point – learning to adapt is its own lesson.
What do I actually want to get out of this?
More than anything, I want to see the world through a genuinely new lens. I’ve spent three years studying business frameworks that are largely rooted in Western corporate thinking, and I’m curious what gets challenged when you take those ideas somewhere else entirely. I want to embrace the culture – not just observe it from a distance – and come back a little different than I left.
The place I’m most excited about: Machu Picchu.
I’ve seen so many videos and photos of Machu Picchu over the years that it almost doesn’t feel real. It’s one of those landmarks I always assumed I’d never actually get to see in person. The fact that it’s on the itinerary still surprises me every time I think about it. Beyond the views, there’s something meaningful about visiting a place built by a civilization that understood sustainability and community long before those became corporate buzzwords.
A highlight from pre-departure classes so far:
One of my favorite things we’ve done so far is the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory. Getting to learn more about myself and – maybe more importantly – the peers I’ll be traveling with for two weeks felt genuinely useful. Knowing how the people around you think and communicate makes a difference, especially when you’re navigating new places and high-pressure situations together.
Peers’ sector presentations:
The presentations have been one of the best parts of pre-departure. A few that really stuck with me: the entertainment sector presentation introduced me to Gisela Valcarcel, a massive figure in Peruvian media I knew nothing about before. The fashion presentation dove into Peru’s alpaca and textile industry, which sits at a fascinating intersection of cultural heritage and global commerce. And the presentation on Jose Koechlin was genuinely inspiring – he started in the film industry and transitioned into building eco-friendly lodges, essentially becoming one of Peru’s leading eco-pioneers. That kind of career pivot, from storytelling to sustainability, is exactly the type of unconventional path I find myself drawn to.
The negotiation exercise:
We recently did a mercury negotiation simulation, and it was humbling in the best way. I was assigned to represent MGM, and stepping into that role made it immediately clear how difficult real treaty-making and international negotiation actually is. Every party comes in with their own priorities, pressures, and red lines, and finding common ground isn’t just a matter of being reasonable. It takes strategy, patience, and a willingness to understand perspectives that don’t align with your own. It gave me a much deeper appreciation for what alternative dispute resolution looks like at an international level, and honestly made me more curious about how those processes play out on the ground in Peru’s mining communities.
And yes – I’m also very excited about the food.
This blog is my way of processing all of it in real time. I’ll post weekly recaps, deeper dives into the business and sustainability topics we’re covering, and whatever random observations feel worth writing down. If you’re a student thinking about study abroad, or just someone interested in what it looks like to take coursework into the real world, I hope this is useful to you.
Next post: I’ll be writing about the pre-departure research I did on Inca Kola and what it taught me about corporate sustainability in an unexpected place.
Talk soon,
Karley
Exploring Peru 
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