{top of the world}

Saturday, April 14 
 
Machu Picchu was insane! What a special ending to the most amazing trip of my life.

Left the hotel at 4am to make the 4 hour trip to the site. First a 2 hour bus ride, then a 2 hour train ride along a beautiful river in the mountains.

I had looked at pictures of Machu Picchu before coming to Peru and was astounded. But, honestly, they pale in comparison to the actual view. I don't even know how to describe it! Highlights of my day: the first view at the mountain top, meeting (FINALLY) a llama and her baby!, and the group session at the end.

When we had toured the entire area, the group gathered in a big circle and took a seat. All of us reflected on our time in Peru and then went around sharing what our favorite part was. It was so heart warming to hear everyone's thoughts. You could see their transformation, and to hear the words come out of their mouths, the emotions and metamorphosis they'd gone through were almost palpable.

We got back to Cusco (which, by the way, is a gorgeous city! wasn't expecting that at all), and had a private mass in the most breathtaking church. Then we all went out to dinner to celebrate our last moments together.

Saying goodbye to everyone was hard, but nothing like I imagined it was going to be. I had this image in my head that saying goodbye would be a combination of laughter, tears (lots of tears), hugging, and some more tears. But it wasn't so. A lot of hugging and laughter, yes. Tears though? Not so much. There was an air of "this isn't the end" that you could tell everyone felt. We all know that we'll see each other soon.

After Cusco, most of the group went home, but a few of us stayed on the adventure for a little while longer. David, Linda, Gregg, Eduardo, a few of the others and I made our way to Lima for a day and then to Argentina! In Buenos Aires we went to a tango show at the Hotel Faena, an experience I'll never get! Had lunch the next day and then it was time to go home.

I can't describe what a blessing this trip has been. I feel like I've said that in every single blog post, but it's true! My life has changed for the best. God is with me, and there's nothing I can't do with him by my side. I love this feeling that I carry with me now. I'm confident, and loved, and humble. So so so blessed. That's the only way I can sum it up.

Dios te bendiga :)