Just Getting Started

Written by Marc Bietola, 2017 Peru: Amazon Adventure. Photo by Carley Ontkean.

Holy smokes! It has been only a little over two weeks, and what an adventure it has been so far. From the busy city of Lima straight into the jungle, all while traveling in style – a 30-hour bus ride, crammed combis (vans) on windy roads, and a three day ride on a shipping boat down the Amazon River.

As a young man who’s done some traveling, I gotta say this has really tested my limits. A flight on United Airlines sounds like a treat.

But I wouldn’t trade anything right now. This trip has been way more real and authentic than I’d envisioned. The partners and community leaders have shown us their love and passion for what they believe in, and passed that on to us, which has changed the way I see the world around me and the way I see myself.

I’ve gotten so much inspiration from everything I’ve experienced so far. Inspiration to do what?  I don’t know yet. I believe that part will come when I return home with new knowledge and experience that I can apply to my everyday life. That’s what I love about traveling, and what this program has to offer; we’re always learning and gaining new insight in our lives. And to think we’re only a couple of weeks in!

I am ever so curious to see what the future holds.