The plane bounces through the turbulence like a kite cartwheeling through a gust of wind. I peer through the tiny porthole as we rocket above emerald green mountains – so close it feels like we could step out and surf across them. The aircraft banks sharply to the left and as we accelerate through the airstream, I see the first houses appear, perched precariously along the hillside. One more hairpin turn and we drop onto the runway, almost like a fighter jet landing on an aircraft carrier.

For a nervous flyer, the turbulent mountain air and the short runway in Cuzco might evoke images of impending death. But as a new friend from the boarding lounge said to me, right before we boarded the aircraft, “Flying to me is magic. I get to sit in a chair and rocket through the atmosphere  as I transition from one world to the next.” I couldn’t agree more.

Yesterday, I climbed above the smoggy Lima sprawl and watched the waves of the Pacific lap against the city’s dusty shores and an hour later bobbed into a valley in the Andes Mountains. It was a pretty miraculous way to spend the morning, if you ask me.

But, for a few minutes yesterday afternoon, I stopped feeling so awe-inspired. Instead, as I struggled to pull in enough oxygen to get a solid breath and the exhaustion from my Spanish late nights and my homesickness for my Pueblos Ingles family caught up with me, every part of me wanted to climb onto the rickety top bunk of my tiny shared room and pull the wool blanket up to my ears.

Thankfully an email from a new Spanish friend came at the perfect time and reminded me to pull back the covers and stay open to new possibilities. Yes it’s ok to reminisce or reflect on memories (whether from the recent or distant past), but the point of life is to be HERE. Right here. Right now. Because this moment is all we have.

Maybe you can relate to the pull of the past. If you could be really honest with yourself, what would you admit to holding on to? Is it a relationship that is no longer working but you’re afraid to leave; a bitterness towards your former boyfriend who you feel betrayed you; or a belief that life will never be as amazing as it was when you were younger, skinnier, or less jaded? Why not take a deep breath with me (hopefully with more oxygenated air than I have access to) and we’ll attempt to let it go and step into the moment. I know – it’s easier said that done, but in case you need to hear it from someone else, you might like the Jan Glidewell quote below…

“You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present.”  ~Jan Glidewell

This morning, after a good night’s sleep and a slightly less altitude-fogged mind, I woke up early to explore some of the wonders this beautiful city has to offer. From red tiled roofs to colourfully dressed locals to breathtaking cathedrals, this city is a photographer’s paradise.

So, instead of spending my days reminiscing about my time in Spain and the friends I will continue to miss, I have resolved to embrace every single second of this once in a lifetime Peruvian adventure.

With that said, hasta luego mis amigos…I am off for my first afternoon of volunteering through IVHQ. I found out yesterday that I will be working with detained street kids at the Cuzco Police Station. Wish me luck…

Here are just a few more shots of this wonderful city: