Adventuring in the Andes - Machu Picchu and Beyond

We stopped once again, closed our eyes, and slowly inhaled and exhaled five times as I counted on my fingers with each breath. After a mutual check of, “good?”, “good?”, “good”, Katie and I continued on, pointing toward the next small step or corner of shade where we could stop for a “breathing break.” Despite having conquered the “Condor’s Pass” summit just the day before at 14,000 feet, our bodies were taxed and pushing ourselves up Machu Picchu Mountain, at a lower altitude, still wasn’t coming easily.

Looking down on the ruins from Machu Picchu Mountain

My best friend, Katie, and I had long been awaiting the day to check Machu Picchu off the top of our bucket lists. And here we finally were.  After a 3-day trek through the Sacred Valley we spent one night in Aguas Calientes (often referred to as the town of Machu Picchu) before rising early for the buses which take eager travelers to the Incan ruins.

We stood perched overlooking the ruins as the morning sun rose over the famous site, taking every cliché Machu Picchu tourist picture we could think of. Then our guide, Tio (uncle) Wilson, took us on a tour back in time around the ruins. At every turn there was an architectural feat or a design stroke of genius. At which point Katie and I pondered how we would have survived as Incans given our near failure of our high school physics class. We’ll just say we got “a lot of support” from Katie’s dad on our partner projects. Thanks, Jim.

Although our day trip to Machu Picchu was fascinating, and should be on every traveler’s list, in the end it was not the highlight of my adventure to the Andes. Instead, my most fond memories will be the ones that are not sites to see or places to visit, rather moments of joy and connection.

• Building a bond with our new “familia” of trekkers, tour leaders, and porters on the Lares Trek.

• Gently telling Katie that although she hated me taking pictures of her suffering altitude sickness against the most beautiful background, one day, she’d laugh looking at them and thank me. I don’t think she’s quite there yet. One day…

I know...I'm an evil friend.

• Feeling elated that we made it successfully up and over the pass…which we all stared up at during breakfast the second morning gawking, “THAT’S where we’re hiking?!”

• Playing hide and seek with the cutest little boy at our second campsite as he giggled hysterically. I’m not sure why this is a magic game…but it breaks every language barrier for children.

• Waking up to the most beautiful sunrise over a small lake high in the Andes while llamas roamed free around us.  Llamallamallamallamallama.

• Struggling up the mountains as school kids stormed pass us with ease on their daily 8 km + hike from their school bus stops to their villages.

• Sharing these extraordinary experiences with Katie and her boyfriend Chris, who was a happy go-lucky addition to our traveling crew. He definitely needed that light-hearted spirit to survive an international trip with the two of us.

• Paying respects to Pachamama (Mother Earth) on our final day in Lares, with a reminder from Tio that whenever life gets challenging, think back to this peaceful, blessed, and thankful day.

Often after the laborious part of planning a trip we most look forward to the events, but it’s the small moments that we stumble upon serendipitously which end up being the most memorable. Remember when you’re traveling that not everything goes as planned all the time (unless you work with me – shameless plug). But when things go sideways, take advantage of the unexpected memories that may result.

Just ask Katie…well…maybe give her a few months first. But I’m sure she didn’t want to get sick on the trip. But I guarantee she’ll remember the small, funny things that happened like the mule Trueno who helped her up the mountain and her very limited ability to speak with the horseman, Nestor, who ended up being a great motivation with his constant smiles and happy demeanor.

Flashing Lights

Snap, snap, snap!  You would think our table was with Kanye West circa 2007 with all the flashing lights we had.  Oh no, this wasn't Hollywood…it was a food blogger potluck.  After paying our respects to the mouth-watering spread of dishes in the form of food photography, we dug in. I was lucky enough to snag an invitation to this food-lover meet up with bloggers arriving to Kota Kinabalu (KK) from Brunei, Kuala Lumpur (KL), and the surrounding areas.  I was introduced to these fellow food lovers by my new, wonderful friends from Sabah Eats.  

For the last few months I have been following Sabah Eats' Facebook & Instagram accounts, lusting over their daily posts of the best food finds in the state.  Their pictures are so enticing they’ll make you want to hop the next plane/boat/train to Malaysia to try it for yourself.

Joanne, Adam, and I became fast friends after I reached out to them and told them I wanted them to take me to their favorite local eateries. We bonded over heaping bowls of noodles, dark soy sauce squid, and a plethora of other dishes. 

Famous Adam and me!

The duo started Sabah Eats after moving back to KK from KL and were intrigued by all the differences in food, even between East & West Malaysia.  Additionally, Joanne is an extraordinary baker.  The first time we met she left me with a package of her chocolate-chip, almond cookies and I fell in love with the bite-sized wonders.  I. Can’t. Stop. Eating. Them. 24 cookies in 48 hours is just unacceptable…even on vacation.

Sabah Eats' newest venture - their free guide to all things food in Sabah!

Roti canai - I could eat this all day and all night.

With our common love of food as our anchor, we have shared some memorable meals including a “noodle tour of KK”, a blogger tasting at “the coolest café in KK”, and a personal tour of the Gaya Street Sunday Market.  Where, it needs to be mentioned, I almost decided to stay in Malaysia forever because I fell in LOVE (again) with two adorable puppies!

The adorable Joanne and me!

Noodle tour!

A tea break at the Sunday Market

Check out those mangosteen y'all - my favorite fruit in the world!

Melting my heart!

My thought for today stems from my newly found friendships.  Spending time with these two wonderful people has been extremely inspiring.  They are deeply passionate about their work, creating community, sharing their talents, and helping others to achieve their goals. Not only have they helped me with everything from research to marketing but I've also witnessed them consistently offer help to others.  And because of this mentality, they have developed a strong following and success for themselves.

Adam & Joanne’s enthusiasm has propelled me forward to worker harder on my own projects, and it has minimized my fear of failure. Surrounding yourself with inspiring people is an important part of believing that you can achieve your goals. If you do not already have a support network I encourage you to seek out people who have common interests and goals. It’s easier than it seems…when I reached out to “info@sabaheats” I had no idea who was on the receiving end of my request to meet, but it resulted in an invaluable connection.

My Best Friend's Wedding

I was elated to hear that on a late Saturday night, way past my dad’s bed time, both of my parents were making the 40-minute jaunt down to the airport to pick me up.  And I was even more excited the next morning when my mom realized that she’d accidently bought 2 more packages of bacon when we had 1 already stashed in the fridge. 

Once it hits your lips....

That was the beginning of what seemed like a very quick trip to the U.S.  I started my three weeks in Seattle, surrounded by friends and family.  The weather gods blessed the beautiful city and gave us gorgeous, sunny weather almost every day.  It was the perfect time to catch an M’s game with my lovely ladies, where I got my first ever foul ball!  Notice….it says ‘got’, not ‘caught’…if I had stuck my hand out for that ball it would have drilled a hole right through my palm (or my head – I’m not great with hand eye coordination).

The weather maintained for a fabulous Mother’s Day BBQ with my family.  And even though Dad stands strongly by his belief that Mother’s Day is a ‘Hallmark holiday’, he still slaved away on the grill, perfectly cooking my brats and chicken…uhhhhh I mean “Mom’s brats and chicken.”  I put myself to work in the kitchen, and played head chef as I bossed around all my cousin ‘sous’.  We ended up with quite the feast, including this delicious corn salad with chili-lime dressing.

Corn salad with Chili-Lime dressing

Dad grilling - don't worry about the creeper in the window...it's just my cousin

L to R: Me, Momma, and Auntie Janet on a beautiful Mother's day

Dig in!!

From Seattle I jumped down to San Francisco to visit my brother and his girlfriend.  I had forgotten how lovely the smell of fresh brewed coffee was until the aroma lifted me off the air mattress in the morning.  We spent one day scouring the city for goodies and snacks as we walked to the park.  We ducked in to an empanada shop, and gathered delicious banh mi sandwiches for “lunch round 2”.  After I removed the peppers from my sandwich, the remaining juices still sufficiently seared my insides. Those little suckers packed a punch, but the sandwich was delish!

Empanadas!

The following day, we really did look like “hunters and gatherers” as we decked out in costumes for the Bay to Breakers race as “the three blind mice.” (Although I guess mice aren’t really ‘hunters’…just ‘gatherers’).  Anyway, any day that I get to wear a costume is fun for me, but it’s not the average day that my brother allows me to draw a pink nose on him with lipstick. 

Mice refueling with Korean BBQ

After a fun filled weekend, it was on to Arizona for “the main event” – an honorable walk down the aisle at my best friend’s wedding.  I had been looking forward to this wedding for over a year, and was so excited to be reunited with my two best friends, Jess and Katie, and a new little addition to our crew – Jess’s adorable 8 month old son, Carson (the cutest baby ever). 

The three of us met in middle school – where you kept your friends close, and your best friends closer.  :)  It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come since the days of overalls and braces, and yet it’s refreshing to know we still have the same friendship that has endured the years and the distance. 

We laughed as we shared old memories – class projects we worked on together, crushes on boys whose names we hadn’t thought of in years, embarrassing stories, and nerdy rituals like our beloved “friendship notebooks” which we circulated between the three of us in high school instead of passing notes.  We even called out each other’s home phone numbers in unison – a testament that we were raised in the years before cell phones and text messaging (and perhaps also a testament that we talked on the phone too much).

High school...wow SOMEBODY went to Mexico for break!

Nerdy but sweet - friendship notebooks

On the day that I watched Jess walk down the aisle, I witnessed a new chapter of our lives unfold.  I felt truly blessed to be standing next to a beautiful woman, who’s stood by me ever since we were little girls.  It brings me great joy to be sharing my life journey with wonderful friends – both the milestones, and the little moments.  (Photos courtesy of Jason + Anna Photography)

Today I ask you to take some time to appreciate your friendships that have stood the test of time.  Life is a beautiful adventure, but it’s even more wonderful when you share the journey.