In the past 3 weeks I experienced Inti Raymi, the festival of the sun, went out with a professional soccer player, lived the winter solstice, walked in a fashion show, went to Lima, and watched Messi play in a soccer game. There is even more to it but I can't begin to get into detail here. What I can observe is that life varies so much here in Peru, within Cuzco and within the entire country.
There are thousands of tourists that come through this city every day, bringing a lot of different energies as well as cultures and economic statuses. There are wealthy people stopping by on their way to Machu Picchu, travelers living off of 20 soles a day, and people in between. It amazes me to think that the standard of living is so low here, but then again it can all be explained. Mamitas are the women that sell woven goods on the streets and they make maybe 45 soles a day if at all, nothing to live off of. Taxi drivers argue for those two extra soles but you never want to cave because they can take you so much further in a meal or anything other than a 10 minute taxi ride. Money in Cuzco just makes you think about what you purchase and how hard you have to work.
Speaking of work, the Mantay Shelter for young girls that have been raped and had a child as a result, is one of the brightest parts of my week. I go every Tuesday and Thursday to give massage to the 15 and 17 year old girls that are pregnant, teach yoga, teach dance, and paint their nails. Three of the girls are in their final few weeks of pregnancy and I will be here while they give birth. It amazes me to think that I am massaging their bellies, feeling their child kicking inside, and within the next 3 weeks they are going to be little people in this amazing yet tough world. I send energy to them every day.
My other job while here other than working at Healing House is to write my own personal blog, which I am planning to use as my capstone project. Wanderlust in Her Eyes is a labor of love and I feel that it really connects me with people back in the states as well as all over the world. I put the link to each new entry on my Facebook and I can see that a lot of my international friends, in South America, Europe, and Canada are reading it. I love that I can be completely honest with it and show other people what it is really like to live and work in a foreign country. The best part is that it inspires people. I have gotten messages from friends on Facebook asking how they can do something similar and so I gave them information and they did with it what they could. This past week I got a follow up message from one of my childhood neighbors telling me that she was coming to Peru in three weeks to work at an orphanage, at the age of 17. I was ecstatic to hear the news, knowing that my words inspired someone to travel the world and consequently changed her life. This is just one way that I know I am making ripples, I was very grateful to know that I made a difference.
I feel as though that with my girls at Mantay and my kids that come to Healing House, I am making an impact on their lives but they will realize that once they are older. That little extra love I gave them, the lesson on environmental protection, or my photography class, or just becoming more worldly through sharing my iPhone photos with them. I know this is where I am supposed to be and that I have a higher purpose to realize while I am here.
At Healing House we are working to save our property and as a result what we work for. The landlords are trying to sell the two properties we use for housing and work space we use to be creative, to inspire, to practice our healing talents, and to stay active. You can help us continue to grow physically and spiritually at Save Healing House, to help us reach our fundraising goal to buy the properties outright, as we are a nonprofit!
If you would like to read more about my adventures in Peru that include more than just the do-gooder side, check out my blog Wanderlust in Her Eyes. Life is good and the opportunity to travel, work, and live in such an interesting country is unbelievable. Dar gracias.
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