More Stories from Peru

What a journey I have been on. I must admit, I´m pretty good at travel. Today I arrived in Arequipa, after a six hour and at least eighty degree bus ride, not knowing a soul. It was a little daunting to arrive in this big city, I´m not a fan of city, but I got myself checked into a nice hostel and got to making plans. Tomorrow I leave the city (yay!) and will spend a couple of days in the Colca Canyon area, doing some hiking camping, visiting volcanoes and will likely see some condors.

There have been several times on this trip, when I come back to my center, that I am struck by the simplicity of my life. Daily I connect with Mother Earth, my Self, children, love, new friends. I am so blessed. Nancy asked me before she left how I would describe my experiences here to my loved ones back home. I do not know. There are stories of places I´ve visited, people I´ve met, experience I´ve had but how does one put into words the energy of these places?

I spent a couple of days on Lake Titicaca. Another powerful place. It sits at 12,500 ft, the highest navicable lake in the world and the largest lake in South America. I visited a few islands, including a floating island and spent the night on Amanti Island with a beautiful family. On the way back to Puno yesterday I felt called to through my ring in the lake, the simple ring I mentioned in an earlier blog, I gave to Madre Titicaca. I think I knew it would stay in Peru, and it felt good to watch it create a splash. A friend of mine had one piece of advice before I left Utah. "Do me a favor", he had said. "Lose yourself there". I don´t think he meant physically although that has happened from time to time. I have not lost my Self here but there is a part of me that I have let go of. Pepe said to me after a night of ceremony, "You don´t have to hold on to everything, just let go." In this way, I suppose I have lost myself. And in letting go of a ring I bought to replace my wedding ring, as if I still needed someone or something, I lost that part of myself that exists in that need.

This simplicity does not mean I want for nothing. I would love to keep traveling to Argentina, Boliva, the world! I would love to have a partner to share in this magic with. I would love to someday have a child and I would love to bring my unique gifts to the world through my vocation. But I am also trusting that mystery knows what my soul needs and all the rest will work itself out.

I met another solo traveler tonight, which is rare. He was excited to hear about the experiences I've  had and was asking me about his own. I am vowing to continue to be open to meeting new people and sharing in my experiences when I get back to the states. It´s so easy to be outgoing and friendly in a different country there is not reason it should be different in the U.S. After all, we are all connected.