What I found in peru

When my friend told me there were more spots on a retreat to Peru, I hesitated for a brief moment and then signed up.

But what was it that made me excited to go? Was it the zip lining? The massages? The food? The fact that there there was going to be several other women with an opportunity to make connections? The hiking of 35 miles in the Andes mountains or was it the airplane rides?

I didn’t even have my passport. I haven’t used it since I was 11 years old when I went to Mexico City for the summer.

The food was amazing and I met some amazing women! Everything went seamless on the airplane ride and I’ll never forget the people I sat by, because you KNOW I chatted my little heart out with them if they allowed it.

But the one thing that I enjoyed the most was that I was in the mountains for 5 days. The Andes mountains. The biggest and tallest mountains I have ever seen.

Before we started the Trek on the first day, our guide, Christian, who I adore and will never forget, told us to stand in a circle, hold hands and close our eyes. As we did this, he circled us while telling us, “let the mountains change you, let the silence teach you something, let this path help you discover a new part of yourself.”

I wanted so badly to allow this to happen. I wanted to go home different. I wanted to discover a new part of me. And I was ready and eager for the mountains to help me accomplish these desires.

My goal was to not call my family or text if not necessary even when I had bits of reception here and there. I wanted to immerse myself in this experience, and be completely present. Once the hiking started, everything slowed down. My mind started to clear and I didn’t need to think of anything. Instead, I became more aware of the sounds and smells around me. I was more aware of my body and how I was breathing and what it was trying to tell me… especially as we were getting higher and higher into the mountains. The silence was noticeable and the conversations with others became deeper. The solitude felt soothing.

The mountains got steeper, the sights became breathtaking. There were even few people that lived up at this altutide and they were captivating and I was completely memorized by everything I was experiencing.

I was changed by the calmness.

I was changed because I was realizing what I was missing in my life.

The quiet has come back with me.

But life is very noisy.

Now I know what it feels like to be completely immersive in calmness and stillness and thats my desire. To find those moments where I can feel this. This is luxury. This is what I am meant to feel. This is how I will find a new part of myself.