grateful for every little thing they receive, and we especially saw this when delivering school supplies. We also saw that they focus less on material goods and rather the people around them. They rely less on those goods to keep them happy which is why I, and I think a lot of us, realized how lucky we are to have so much and how those things shouldn't dictate our happiness. Not trying to call my sister out or anything but I feel like if she had just returned from this experience she probably wouldn't have been complaining about the color of her new phone because she broke her other one. But obviously she didn't think too much of it while I had our reflection conversations playing in my head, thinking the whole time how if only she experienced what I did, and saw the things I saw, mabye she would be a little more grateful that she can even get a new phone.
What is your heart telling you right now?
Ever since leaving Peru, I have needed things to slow down. When we got back home life seemed more complicated than it should be - more complicated than it needed to be.
First thoughts when someone says, how was it?
That week we all spent together made me feel at peace. At night it was only me and the sounds of the jungle - and if we’re being honest; a few rather large but adorable geckos. In just a few short days, we all created a stable and simple routine to live sustainably. It breaks my heart that we don’t have major resources such as stable weather to provide us with a more easily sustainable lifestyle. In Michigan, it may seem difficult to cultivate more natural resources with our state being frigid; but it’s not impossible, especially with the technology we have today with indoor planting and warm summers.
What seemed odd, what things triggered you once you returned back home?
The day after we returned home, my mom needed to go to the supermarket. Naturally I drove her there to help with the shopping part of the trip. Once I stepped inside, I felt trapped. It was the weirdest sensation. I have been to this store hundreds of times, but after Peru, I felt suffocated. I never realized the gravity of seeing so much of one thing.
What is it you miss? Why?
I will miss the night time boat rides. For me, everything stopped in its tracks; from the thoughts racing through my head to the small movements my muscles made. Everything just felt right. This experience cannot be justified until you’ve gone through it all. I will miss the people and how generous they were. I felt a deeper connection with them than I do with my own cousins (with whom I spend vacations and gatherings with). I will miss the feeling of the warm rain that we danced in during our time at the Community Project. I will miss seeing the most genuine smiles and happiness from the children and the adults who shared their time, stories, and traditions with us. I will miss rising with the sun and sleeping to the sound of water, wind mingling with the trees, and the night birds.