Victoria and I just got back from an extraordinary trip to Peru!

I have to be honest – going to Peru, even Machu Picchu, wasn’t really on my immediate bucket list – I had Greece and Italy in mind. But V has been taking Spanish since Kindergarten and I’ve always told her, if she sticks with it, we’ll go somewhere after Jr. High and High School so she can practice her language skills.

When her Spanish teacher said she might be arranging a trip we were all in.

The trip was very planes, trains and automobiles – literally. Our group of about 15 had early wake-up calls (think 2:15a), red-eye flights, and everything in between. Not a relaxing vacation to be sure, but a rewarding one!

We did many incredible things and, thanks to our local guide, we were really able to learn more about the Peruvian culture.

But beautiful Machu Picchu was a truly extraordinary experience. After a week of non-stop group movement in Peru, I finally had a moment to sit down and collect my thoughts on the trip.

Machu Picchu – Breathtaking. Absolutely stunning. It truly lived up to its reputation.

We took a train into Aguas Caliente, a base camp, if you will. The train ride is about an hour and a half and a relaxing way to watch the landscape turn from the plains and agriculture to jungle as we entered the Amazon rain forest.

We stayed the night so we could get an early start the next morning. The shuttle busses pick you up at the side of the road and for the next 30 minutes, begin numerous switchbacks up the side of the mountain.

You arrive at Machu Picchu and there is vibe of excitement. It’s a place where people from all over the world visit. I enjoyed hearing the varied languages. We broke into two smaller groups and, with our tour guides, began the climb. Each step and turn offered greater vistas than the step before.

We were utterly blessed with the most spectacular day and weather. The stunning sunshine was definitely showing off, casting its lovely rays onto the ruins, a place build to honor the Sun God, the mountains – Pachamama or Mother Earth, among other things.

Machu Picchu was bigger than I imagined, spilling down the sides of the mountain in structured, meticulous fashion. I was equally struck by God’s glorious creation. The sharp peaks surrounding the ruins – it was absolutely exquisite. It was one extraordinary view after another – breathtaking in the truest sense. I walked among the ruins, touched the stones and wondered about those who touched them first, carving them, stacking them, piling them into such beautiful precision.

I love any experience or moment that makes me feel small, humbled. Machu Picchu did that in spades. I’ll always be grateful to have been given the opportunity to visit such an extraordinary place.

On a personal note, I feel so blessed that I was able to stand on the top of that mountain with my daughter, and that I was well enough to do it. Last year, I would have had to miss it. So grateful that we now have all these amazing photos in that brilliant sunshine, connecting to a mysterious history in a culture/world we’ve only begun to know.

This trip was a gift!