Light-headed

This photograph and story are courtesy of my lovely friend Stephanie  - from her amazing trip to Peru!

Air really is thinner at 15,200 feet.
Whatever. That’s what fragile jello eaters say. I’ve grabbed a calf by its hind end to knock it to the ground. I’ve carried bags of feed atop my shoulders. I think crying is for nonverbal babies.

Yet, all that doesn’t change that the air really is thinner at 15,200 feet.

Yet, apparently, that’s not even all that high. High.Enough.For.Me. Indeed.

This picture was taken while hiking the Salkantay trail in Peru with my two best friends. It was among the best times I’ve ever had in my life. I saw more beauty. Learned more about myself than ever (I’m pretty sure) before. Ate way good food and had an adventure of a lifetime (grilled guinea pig. slipping within inches of a cliff. being cut off a trail by a wild cow. unequivocal joy at the sight of a bathroom. fell in a river fed by a hugggggge waterfall).

More of that story to come with future pictures.

But at this moment that the picture was taken, I was thinking--- I’m going to die.

I am going to die. We got to Peru several days before we were actually supposed to set out on the five day trek “from snow to jungles.” And I thought it would be sooooo easy. Like, laughably easy. Like, “I’m probably going to miss my running trails in Texas” this is so easy.

Stupid.

It was hard. I couldn’t breathe. I got dizzy. I lost two toenails and gained blisters that stretched across the entire length of the pad of my foot. I lost 10 pounds.

Up. Up. Up. Up. Climb. Climb. Climb. Down. Down. Slide. Down. Slip. Down. I wanted it to be ovvvvvvvver… until I was so sad to find it was.

Do you ever do that, Kendra? Wish something was over to find that you were actually having a lot of fun. I had a lot of fun.

I had so much fun. Ah, I love fun! I love that it’ s a memory I’ll have forever. I love that I completed something that thought was impossible at one point.

I love that I can’t take credit for the physical fete… that we did it together. Encouraging each other. Supporting each other. Loving each other. J

Ah. Love.

Just Say Yes by Snow  Patrol