Written by Ashley Lopez

My two weeks in Peru have given me the experience of showering with a pail and a bucket of water.

Hi beautiful readers, welcome back to Ashley Spills. Ashley, here. You can check out my other posts here.

Disclaimer: I understand that people all over the world shower like this and that not everyone has access to a shower. I don’t want to sound like a privileged person, but for the sake of this blog, I am here to share my experience and spread awareness.

My grandma’s beach house does not have an underground piping system (a lot of the houses at the beach do not). She has to get a tank filled in order to have water in the water lines. This tank can empty in the middle of a shower, washing the dishes, brushing your teeth—you get it. It’s important to be cautious of your water usage.

Be grateful for your showers

Once we arrived to her house, the water was completely out, and the water company does not fulfill orders until the next business day. Nonetheless, I was dirty and I had to clean my body so my grandma filled a bucket with water so I could shower (she keeps bottled water for instances like this).

To warm the water up, she boiled it and let it cool down. She even helped bathe me being the best grandma that she is (gracias abuela). My grandma was worried because she wants me to be as comfortable as I can be while I’m here. She’s so used to the lifestyle here and having less.

I have never taken a shower like this. And it was definitely an experience. I showered with probably less than a gallon of water and in less than five minutes. In the end, I felt clean and it got the job done. However, this shower will stay engraved in my memory because it was an eyeopener.

Moral of the story is that not everyone has access to unlimited water. Not everyone can even cleanse themselves in a shower, let alone with warm water. Be grateful for your warm baths and showers. I truly cannot imagine my life without taking a good shower, but while I’m here, I have to. Whether I’m in the city, or my dad’s hotel, the water pressure is extremely low or the water is not hot. A simple shower is something I’m sure we all take for granted. It’s important to count your blessings and step into the shoes of others. I know the small things I stress are probably nothing compared to what other people are facing.

Different lifestyles

Besides the shower situation, I’m am surrounded by so much poverty. Every day I encounter little huts as homes, or homes that look undeniably run down. People wear the same clothes and there are beggars on the street. Don’t get me wrong, not all of Lima is like this. There are beautiful neighborhoods too, but in the end, Peru is a third-world country and it’s evident when you’re here.

Me not having the latest iPhone or the latest pair of sneakers is the not the end of the world. Though, I already knew this, I am hoping this serves you as a reminder to be grateful for what you do have. I challenge you to write down ten things that you are grateful for. Here are mine, a shower, bed, home, cell phone, laptop, tablet, camera, television, clothes, and multiple pairs of shoes.

You’ll notice that I mentioned a lot of items that aren’t necessities, but to me they are…even though they aren’t, does that make sense? The things we think we need are things people live without every single day. I’m learning to be more self-aware of the things I call necessities. I’m also grateful that I have the option to call them necessities.

Be mindful and show gratitude

Be mindful of what you give your energy toward and be grateful for everything that you do have. In the end, I’m so thankful for the experiences I’ve had and will have while I’m here, like hand washing my clothes!

The lifestyle from different countries is truly what make diversity so beautiful. I love finding beauty in things that most people don’t think are nice.

Thank for reading, xo.

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