Five Lessons from my Trek to Machu Picchu

Two years ago for my birthday, my sisters and I accomplished one of my all-time big-grin, bucket-list goals: climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. While we were there, my sister Karin said, "If I were to do something big for my birthday, it would be Machu Picchu."

We all agreed that would be amazing. But as is often the case, life happens, and we just never planned it. Until late August, when Karin's son Dan realized that his mother's birthday was coming up. "If we're going to do this, it's got to be soon," he said.

It was terrible timing. None of us had been training. Isabel was in Africa, of all places. But we agreed that we could do it – me, Karin, Isabel, Karin's kids Kira and Dan, and Dan's girlfriend Brianna.

"Are we up for this?" we kept saying to each other. In Africa, Isabel had met someone who said Machu Picchu is a lot like Kilimanjaro. Uh-oh, I thought when I heard that. Can we really do this? We didn't know. But we booked the trip for mid-September, and when we found ourselves in Cuzco, we knew it was really happening.

Sometimes, extraordinary things happen when you least expect them. If you had asked me in mid-August what I'd be doing four weeks from then, I would not have said, "Exploring Incan Ruins." But that's where life took me, and I learned some pretty powerful truths along the way. Here are my favorites:

1. Any size step, taken over and over, will get you long distances.
   These were the wise words of my nephew's girlfriend, Brianna. She's the most accomplished hiker of us all – she's even been the basecamp of Everest – but she wasn't feeling well and couldn't take the attitude meds. Going up the mountain for her was especially hard, but like the strong, resilient woman she is, she dug deep into her core and took one step at a time – and that's what got her through.
   
   We all struggle sometimes, and it's easy to lose heart. To think, "This is too hard for me, this mountain is just too big to climb." But every single step counts. When you take any action – big or small – and you take it every day, you will reach your goal. 

2. There is so much more around you than you know.
   During the hike, my companions kept pointing out things I never would have noticed. I'm a big-picture person, and I just love big, sweeping vistas – so that's what I saw. But my niece Kira has a deep passion for plants. She would point out every flower, every fern; she knew all the names and characteristics. At first, it was hard to tear my eyes away from the views. But when I did, I realized how many million things there are around us that we simply don't see – unless someone points them out.
   
   Each of us has a filter that determines what we perceive. It's important to remember that our filter doesn't show us everything. There's always more to the story than we know.
   
   One way to get around your own filter is to ask powerful questions. What do I have? is a favorite of mine. We tend to get stuck seeing things we don't have, but the truth is, we have way more going for us than we realize. Another way is to talk to people with a different viewpoint. Ask what their take is, and listen – especially about a situation where you feel there's only one way to see it. Chances are, you'll be surprised. 

3. Be patient, because everything changes.
   In the Andes, the weather can turn in an instant. At first, I found myself obsessing over each change. "It's raining, I need to stop and put on all my rain gear." Then the rain would stop. "Now I'm hot, let me take off a layer." Five minutes later, it would start raining again. "Oh, I need all my rain gear again." Finally, a couple days in, I thought, What if I just wait and see what happens?
   
   Change is a constant; we don’t always need to react so strongly. Be patient, stay true to your course, even when your surroundings change. You'll save a lot of energy that way!
   
   
4. The journey is the destination.
   Our guide, Elisban, said at the outset, "Machu Picchu is one fifth of the whole experience. The rest is equally special – so don't wait till the end to enjoy it." He was right. (In fact, that's such a true statement that his company, Alpaca Expeditions, made the journey is the destination their motto.) This was one major difference between Machu Picchu and Kilimanjaro. On Kilimanjaro, our goal was to reach the summit. But here in Peru, we'd hiked to the highest altitude on Day One, when we reached 15,000 feet. After that, it was all descent, and every turn presented with another awe-inspiring view. We had to adjust our mindset to enjoy each moment, not simply wait for the end.
   
   In life, we often save up all our happiness and celebration for some future event. We think something has to happen before we can be happy – lose weight, get a promotion, win an award. But the truth is, if you can't experience joy and gratitude now, you probably won't be able to later, either. What if you could look at this moment, right now, the way you'll look at your final destination? What if every moment was as special as that one far-off day? 

5. In Cuzco, we visited an Inca site called the Sacsayhuamán, where our tour guide, a shaman named Mario, led us to the mouth of a dark cave. It was literally pitch black, and the path was narrow and twisting. You got through it by keeping your hands on the walls. "Here's what you need to do," said Shaman Mario as we prepared to go in. "You have to breathe. When the panic comes up, you have to breathe through it." In the darkest, most panic-inducing moments, the most important thing we could do was breathe.

Right now, I invite you to inhale. Hold it for a second, then let it all out. Good. No matter what else is going on in life, no matter how much stress you're under, you can always breathe. Breathing helps you tap into your center. From that place of peace and safety, you can make decisions not out of fear, but out of strength.

Happy birthday, Karin. Thank you for being such an amazing and adventurous sister. (You too, Isabel!) I love you.

Go out, enjoy every step of your journey, and shine.