"I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul."
-Nelson Mandela, Radical Activist and Politician
November, 2015 - It's sometimes said to be unprofessional, blaming outside forces for a lacking product. But fortunately, I'm not being paid, and therefore am withheld from status as a professional.
I do quite lament the embarrassingly overdue nature of this post... I'm guessing there aren't too many who visit it, but I think those who do deserve an explanation.
Daniel and I spent weeks at a time without connection to an internet signal with site-building strength. For those who are familiar with my nature, you know I'll dive into a detailed apology to justify the delinquency. But first: Let's talk about Perú, shall we?
Daniel and I spent weeks at a time without connection to an internet signal with site-building strength. For those who are familiar with my nature, you know I'll dive into a detailed apology to justify the delinquency. But first: Let's talk about Perú, shall we?
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I used to think I was a pretty close to "getting it together."
I mean, just generally speaking, I tend to catch on to the way of things, and adapt myself to a point of advantage within my given circumstances. I decently recognize patterns and have basic skills to sufficiently complete tasks at hand, and would like to think that my reasoning is at least moderately sound.
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To that end, a few years ago, I felt pretty solid about who I was, what I was about, and how to navigate my life. I had earned fantastic grades in college, had been blessed with a fulfilling and diverse social network, had a promising career ahead of my that I enjoyed and where I performed well, and felt emotionally sustained and appreciated by my beloved family.
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It was an incredible state to discover within myself, an enormous and awfully welcome departure from the relatively aimless and oftentimes uncomfortably insecure youthful angst it replaced.
| Granted, I never expect to have it ALL figured out, or to reach a point where I would beat the game of life, but I at least thought I had a solid handle on the fundamentals and a well-honed bank of disciplines to fall back on when situations would complicate. Well, sorry to disappoint you again, Mr. Strawn, but you were quite wrong... again. |  |
And thank goodness for that. I'm not at all abashed to declare that not only am I frequently wrong, but were I always right this world would be in a wretched state. Thankfully for you citizens of Earth, I am not in charge. Someone far more clever and merciful holds those reins.
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It seems one - of many - lessons this universe is determined to teach me in recent months is how painfully incapable I seem to be in certain realms of the human emotional experience.
| I have repeatedly felt as though my maturity and much-practiced self-awareness are battling with my fragile innocence and inner-child sanctuary, creating a conflict that has lamentably been dragging others into the fray (others who by no means deserve the burden). Perú was a challenging (and hopefully effective) lesson for me in the relationship between these two extremes. Throughout our culture-hopping, explorational adventure, we have observed so many different manners of human life, states of childhood, and family formulas throughout history and today. This range is diversely exemplified throughout Peru. |   |
Things sometimes change and sometimes continue on, from life lived in a colonial city, electrified and plumbed for comfortable home-making in those same historic houses, to abandoned ruin sites that haunt with vacant echoes of peoples long past, to the cosmopolitan metropolises constructed over the graveyard capital of a long-dead civilization.
 |  There are villages with man-made islands, where reeds are like bricks and water like soil, cities where buildings crowd one another and backyards or front lawns exist somewhere far away, UNESCO-protected towns that feature structures from the past with the amenities of the present. Some have homes with gardens, courtyards, and body guards. But at the same time, if anyone in Peru tells you that all they own are the clothes on their backs, it might not be far from the truth. |
| Largely up to this point, we have seen a near ubiquitous progression of societies towards a much-desired technological evolution, even if only in small ways. The people of Puno, who cleverly have been using the reeds of a lake to build boats, homes, and even islands for hundreds, now incorporate recycled plastic bottles into the hulls of boats and beneath floating cities, improving longevity and stability.  |  |
But now our entry to Perú brings us geographically and ethnically closer to the center of South America, and to the descendants of the Incan kingdom that once ruled it. These descendants still seem to claim their ancient royal roots to this day, causing a new manner of living from which to learn.
The variety of families that compose Perú's population range widely, from thoroughly Westernized, largely modernized city-slickers to old-world, indigenous descendants, sometimes desperately holding fast to the customs and values of their forefathers.
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To exemplify this range of communal diversity, one can make a comparison of the country's largest city versus its rural outliers.
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In the capital, Lima, a plethora of conveniences and contemporized luxuries offer citizens amenities and comforts. Notably among them, a glittering, state-of-the-art shopping mall engineered into sea-side cliffs just out from the downtown district.
 |  Five, open-face stories of restaurants, gardens, sculptures, boutiques, and theaters vertically nestled in the bluff's recesses hundreds of feet above crashing, ocean waves well-stocked with wet-suited surfers paddling the frothed saltwater, who carve the rising swells beside a full-scale restaurant fancifully stilted above the water's undulating tide. |
In contrast, five hundred kilometers inland, deep inside the mystical Andean mountain stretch, different buildings clinging to different cliffs.
Small, rock-walled huts grip to the steeply-sloped Sacred Valley beyond Ollantaytambo and before Aguas Calientes. Beneath the misty, raw peaks of the range, their simple foundations dig stubbornly into the earth, standing strong against the assaulting elements that wrack the land.
No power-lines or pipes reach these places, and no regulated institutions break ground.
The rugged homes are ringed with battered gardens and grazing livestock, in the seemingly traditional fashion of Incan farms from eras long ago. The structures almost materialize what their builders feel within: a steadfast dedication to old ways, lacking much of the rampant assimilations and adaptations to so-called "First World" priorities.
Skyscrapers and country clubs and cinemas and dealerships are distant things to the mountain dwellers.
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It makes this rapidly evolving nation all the more precious to me now, when what is there at present very well may disappear into the ages.
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The more I think about this notion of a desperate past, grappling fiercely to retain its relevancy while growth threatens to render it obsolete, the more I reflect upon such movements within myself, and how it is that my decently developed, deliberately gained behaviors and tendencies can be so at odds with a simpler side of myself.
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It sometimes seems to me that my soul is like a constantly expanding organism, comprised of previous experiences and conjectures that blend in with and make way for new exposures and fresh information.
 | As I confront the new and unfamiliar, I sometimes face that which may be in conflict with or contradicting my preexisting ideologies, my beloved principles, or my core values. Suddenly, these new and powerful forces are assaulting my traditional supports, and wracking the carefully laid foundations within myself. |
I may choose to cling to the ground, or to adapt. Either way, I don't think I can escape feeling the approaching power of an uncertain future, bearing with it frightening consequences and undesirable adaptations. Such ferocity could cause to vanish my familiar self within the destructive and restructuring fires of change that reforges our characters again and again, reshaping spirits and strengthening hearts, where we only survive if we are strong enough to withstand.
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And we are strong. Don't forget that.
Life may throw curve balls, it may threaten my comforts and identities, and it will certainly divorce me in the end. But even if only internally: "I am the captain of my fate."
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We may not have control over the winds and weathers that batter us, or even full mastery over the havens and vessels that carry us onward, but we hold within ourselves the power of dedication, strength, and (not to be underestimated) remembrance.
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We will change. This is certain. We will have things taken from us. We will face loss and heart-break. We will find success and triumph. We will fall. Will we rise. But with dedication in our righteous convictions, strength in our spirits, and remembrance for our pasts, we can move towards a better future.
Come with us as we travel.
Explore the world. Make it better.
Now, it indeed has been an abnormally long time between posts... When this blog was initially conceived, I had hoped to keep up with our country-a-week pace.
Lamentably, lacking internet access quickly rendered that posting frequency unrealistic. Building a website requires a strong, secure connection (something I've rarely found in the last six months).
| I hoped and attempted to find away around the obstacle of slow (even nonexistent) Wifi, but have yet to discover a satisfactory option. It's time to re-strategize.... I think I will either take my mother and Daniel's repeated advice and see if I can use weak internet to craft mini-posts to fill the silent void, or will just expect monthly publications of equal size and content to previous articles. |  |
Feel free to chime in with your opinion or suggestion! I'd love to hear from you in any capacity! Thank you!
 | We have another HUGE thanks to offer our new friends, fantastic and fun Lima hosts: Mac, Fernado, and Logan, who graciously (and deliciously) provided commendable accommodations in the delightful Miraflores district of the city. You made available to us security and safety while we awaited visas and explored the city, enabled walks on the malecon with Logan and jaunts to the Barranco, and helped us to discover the taste of Chifa. |
| You were patient, positive, and supportive, conversational and kind. Rare generosity to earn from a stranger. We have many reasons to recognize how lucky we were. And we won't be forgetting this chaufa! |  |
 | And to old acquaintances Stephanie, Cecille, Felipe, and new little Emilia, we offer our gratitude. What a wonderful diversion you offered us with your hospitality and humor in La Molina (the house looks wonderful! And the location by the park is so ideal). Your sweet granola grab bags kept our stomachs healthily happy and occupied as we headed east. We are so excited to see you all again (Stephanie: So sorry we missed you in Chile! Next time we will try to plan better). |
We also want to acknowledge and applaud Señor Carlos of Cuzco, and the darling, dulce Wara the Adorable, for your flexibility and friendship we thank you. Such an incredible meal for our first night in town (complete with alpaca steak, cow heart kebabs, and a decadent, dark chocolate cake with ice cream to complete the "Inkan" meal). Enjoying walks with Wara and sharing fresh-baked, home-made chocolate-chip slices of heaven when our schedules crossed on National Cookie Day, we truly appreciate and are indebted to you. We miss you both! And LOVE seeing your smiling faces on social media.
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Another appreciative comment belongs to Daniel Bernstein, who has recently volunteered to critic and edit my frequent typos, rambling run-on's, and proper nounery. I'm glad I have someone to watch my literary back!
Further more, we giddily recognize and (very belatedly) celebrate that fabulous, recently passed holiday of St. Valentines, where love between humans is to be lauded and prioritized (for those who attend to the traditional meaning). We had spent the day on a bus ride, but nonetheless, no matter timing or location, like any holiday worth enjoying, I feel compelled to try and adopt the spirit of the day in year-round appreciation. The love of Valentine's, the spirit of Christmas, the gratitude of Thanksgiving, the hope of Easter, the fun of Halloween, the excitement of New Year... Why restrict them to one day? Let the love live on!
And lastly, we thank YOU, dear reader. Friend, family, or future companion. We love you for coming with us, and making our journey special.
Don't forget to visit our How to Help page to see where YOUR difference can find footing.
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See you next time! It's off to Bolivia...
As mentioned, we have a promotional video for you to see at the fund raising site for our mission!
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
Like the photography?
There is more to see than a post has room for!
Click the links and take a gander at our internal gallery and Instagram account!
LOVE it? Visit Daniel's store here!
There is more to see than a post has room for!
Click the links and take a gander at our internal gallery and Instagram account!
LOVE it? Visit Daniel's store here!
So... Where were we????