Spread love and kindness

Welcome to Peru,

I say this because I feel like I take you all with me when I travel.
After 22 hours of 3 airplanes, 4 airports, and a taxi I arrived. I use to be able to arrive and start exploring the same day. This morning after just 2 hours of sleep I was exhausted. I ended up sleeping until 4, it was glorious!
Many times after the grueling hours of travel to get to my destination I wonder to myself if it is all worth it. Is it worth the cramped quarters of the airplane. Or 5 hour layovers. Then I go to my first activity of the trip. For this trip it was a night walking tour and pisco sour making lesson. It always starts with the anxiety of if I will find my group, if they will be kind people, and if I can keep up in a walking tour at 11000 ft above sea level. Then I meet my group. Tonight's tour was a nearly private tour with a beautiful person who lives in Miami and is working in Chile for 4 months. As we began to talk about travel and where she has been, I remembered how much I crave it. Hearing about others travels, where they have been and their experiences brings the oxygen back to my blood.
The tour itself consisted of walking through the bohemian art districts and taking a moment to orient myself to the city.
Peru is a 75 or more percent catholic country and in addition to that they are very connected with the Earth. They believe in Pacchi Mama (mother earth for those who remember her from Boliva). To me the believe on Pacchi Mama versus traditional religion resonates more in my heart. There is no talk of smiting or cursing someone who does not do what the Gods wish. It is about celebrating and giving thanks to the amazing things the world has provided us. As I travel I am constantly in awe of areas in the world where religions or lack of are respected and able to live in harmony with each other.
I read earlier very quickly of the shootings in Christchurch NZ. As with anytime these things happen my heart is broken. The families who after going about their daily life will no longer be the same, the fear that is now instilled in peoples hearts, and the unfathomable hate that exists in the world. I cry, scream and try to understand how such hate happens. Is the cause a society that has chosen to focus on our differences versus our similarities.
Before my tour started I sat on the steps of the Cathedral and spoke to a Peruvian woman, named Elsa. She much better at English than I am with my broken Spanish. She spoke of her family and her 6 year old son. So close in age to the little Twincesses in my life. She asked questions about me and my life. She too has lost her father at a too an age. No time was lost debating politics or religion. It was just a genuine interaction of kindness and connection. I have been so lucky to find these connections all over the world, yet I do not believe you necessarily have to leave your own peace (intentional misspelling) of the world to find this. React when you see hate happening in the world. Maybe if we are able to stop it early then these instants of mass killing will cease to be an everyday event in our lives that we ignore because it is so far away.
At 25 I lived in London. I remember that Thursday when bombs were exploded on the tube (subway). One affected my line yet I was running early that day. I remember that feeling of the city I lived in and loved being under attack. Just two weeks later they attempted it again and luckily the bombs did not detonate. To live in a city where you felt like you had no clue what was going to happen next was terrifying. I remember thinking that is what people are living with in "those other" counties. Now it is happening weekly to people just like us. Shame on us for not acting years ago but now is the time. I ask all of you a simple favor. Stand up with love to hate when you see it. Support the victim of hate but also find a way to create kindness to the perpetrator. Who knows where your kindness could lead and what it could potentially stop in the future.
Thank you all who have taken the time to read this. I know it is a bit of a divergence from my normal travel blog. I believe the purpose if travel is to learn. As I mentioned in my travels I take you along with me so I hope you too will have an opportunity to look at the world a little different tomorrow.

Ps I write my blogs on my phone so forgive any spell check errors that come up. They are written all through out my day and posted at the end. You will see in this blog the moment I peaked out of my vacation bliss to read the news to see what was happening in the world. The tone changes as a result. It may not be the most cohesive way to write but it is the raw cut. I hope you enjoy.

Today's pictures don't follow the tone of the blog, but it was a good day so I wanted to share.Read more