Hola SAM students, friends and family!
Well it´s finally happened, our adventure has come to an end. It has been a wild three months of Spanglish, host families, bus rides, llamas, stunning scenery, lots of stairs, and of course, rice, potatoes, yucca and plenty of bananas (sorry Casey).
Our South American family has expanded beyond our group of 14 to include Pete in Pucara, Juan Carlos and his family in Santo Domingo, Lorena and Marcello in Banos, Maria and Rick and all those brilliant girls in Arequipa, Chaitanya, Samantha and Elizabeth in the Sacred Valley, Mamma and Papa Cusco, John and the teachers at Fairservices, and of course Antonio and Marycruz, our friends and guides at Salkantay and Machu Picchu. It has been an incredible experience full of learning, growing, pushing comfort zones and developing closer relationships. Every member of this group was essential to making our semester a success.
We are all back home now, perhaps whistfully pining over that last baby aplaca shawl we chose not to buy, and perhaps planning our next adventure, but all knowing that we have had an incredible experience together and made lasting memories. With the close of one journey, another expanse of potential unfolds in front of us all. Now equiped with new skills and confience, born aloft by inspired friends and clearer aspirations, its time to seize the day in whatever form the next adventure arises.
Wishing you all blue skies, much love, cuidado and more adventures to come,
Matt y Ashley