In the end

What a trip this was! Even now, almost a year later, I still think about it almost every day. Those two weeks hold some of my best memories. I loved it; I miss it. Its difficult to put into words what a trip like that does to people, or at least, to me. I learned just how good it feels to serve. The smiles we got from the people of Salkantay was better than any paycheck. If I could, I'd do that forever. As it is, I have quite a bit to pay for. It makes me sad; sometimes I wonder why the world can't just get along and work together. If we could all love each other like the brothers and sisters that we are, no one would have to worry about money, we'd just help each other out. I think that's how its going to be in the millenium. The time I spent in Peru, and the time since as I've thought about it, has made me feel more solid as a person. I know who I am, I know what is important to me, I know what is right. Helping people just for the sake of helping them, out of love and not out of obligation, is right. It feels right, it feels warm, it feels totally and completely joyous. Just thinking about it brings back the feelings I had when I was doing it--my heart bubbles and I feel like dancing. The jungle was amazing, Cusco was fun, Machu Picchu was incredible, but the best days I spent in Peru were in Salkantay, working harder than I ever thought my body was capable of. It was so hard, but I'd do it again. I WILL do it again. Maybe not in Peru, but this was something that affected me deeply, and I intend on being affected again, and hopefully changing someone's life for the better because I was able to serve them. I've never been so dirty as I was in Peru, never been so tired or so overwhelmed. I've never been happier.