2 Year Anniversary - Journey from United States to Peru

Exactly 2 years ago I came to Peru for the first time since the age of 14.  My experience as a child in Peru was a mix of wonder, confusion, and sexual exploration.  From the time I was little, my dad participated in a rowing championship in Lima every year.  A memorable experience I have is kissing a young Peruvian champion in my parent`s hotel room.  Then, in Cusco, before visiting Macchu Picchu, I experienced one of the most traumatizing experiences as a teen.   I recall the feelings of thinking my dad was dying from cancer when really my parents had gotten robbed at gunpoint.  

May 2016, Callao, Lima (dad`s home town)

My experience in Peru changed me as I began to realize that there were many things about my heritage that I didn`t understand.  I wanted to come back to Peru so badly and dreamed of one day eventually moving to Peru.  However, more than 14 years passed and I lost touch of my childhood dreams.  As I grew older, I became more disconnected from myself as I found comfort in an easy life-style making far too much money in a corporate America job that lacked challenge.

July 2017, Barranco, Lima

What impacted me the most when I visited Peru as an adult was hiking 4 days through rain and magical mountains to arrive at a Machu Picchu.  Then, doing ayahuasca in the jungle of Tarapoto changed my life.  It was there that I began to allow myself to heal by opening up to my friends and family about serious issues that had impacted my life.  Returning back to Atlanta, I realized it was now or never.

September 2015, Dead Women`s Pass, Inka Trail

Moving to Peru was the first difficult decision I made for myself.  I didn`t ask anyone for permission to live my own life.  I chose to develop a relationship with myself.  While I had doubts if I was just moving from one thing to another, I can confidently say no.  I followed my instinct and took each day one at a time.  Instead of meticulously coordinating my 5 year plan, I was more concerned how to patiently communicate my needs in an environment that moved at a much slower place.

July 2016, Laguna 69, Huaraz

This shift in life is a milestone.  A moment of profound awe of what I have accomplished and how I have changed as a result.  I have experienced the sorrow of ending a loving relationship, falling momentarily, deeply for another and experienced moments of intension passion.  I have grown from learning how to tread water to standing up on a surfboard & catching awesome waves.  I`ve grown from learning how to respond to driver tickets in Spanish through Google Translate within my first days at Uber to being promoted & leading a team of 7 amazing people.

I have realized how to move from making rash decisions based on impulse to live each day a bit more consciously.  Most importantly, I have fallen in love with myself.  I used to feel that falling in love met finding a partner to share your life with and giving that person everything.  Without realizing that the relationship with myself comes first, always.  Not as an extension of practical, logical thinking but as an uncompromising truth.

Cumpleaños 29, Mayo 2017, Barranco, Lima

From traveling to Atlanta, California, Peru, Colombia, Galapagos, & Costa Rica to taking my first trip solo next month to explore Patagonia, Buenos Aires and Igauzu, I have realized that with intention comes the power of living more fully.  So I challenge you, what is it that keeps you up at night?  It is never too late to start living your dreams, taking life one day at a time.

May 2017, Galapagos, Ecuador