(no subject)
We finished our 4-day hike of the Inca Trail to Machu Piccu yesterday! Officially the hardest thing I've ever done, I'm now writing this snuggled up in our hotel under one-million blankets, wishing I never had to get up. My leg muscles are screaming, and my lungs feel full (very cough-y, probably from all the rapid temperature changes + exhaustion, hopefully it doesn't become anything else), but otherwise, WHAT a trip! I honestly can't believe we did it, and was so glad I was working out 6-days a week for the two months leading up. We only had one case of small altitude sickness in our group of 5, otherwise everyone was golden. Going to bed at 11 after getting our first alcoholic drink last night (in my case in over two weeks) was the latest we've been in bed by two hours. Crazy to think yesterday I was up at 2:45, on the trail by 4. WHAT. Will share a pic or two here later, and assuredly in Facebook if we're friends :) South America is beautiful, as Mark Adams put it, in a lonely way. As an American the omnipresent poverty stirs up a whole mess of white guilt, and a re-ignited appreciation for what I get to go home to. Our shit isn't perfect--far from it--but it's home.
Now, to try to put on every article of clothing I own as we breakfast, then wander the streets until outlet 5pm pickup for our red-eye. My friend had the brilliant idea to book us a room one night at the Trump hotel, where we will get our knotted muscles worked out and watch Indiana Jones movies and generally feel hella-good about our accomplishments. And then, back to real life! I'm excited to get back into working out, as this trip has lost me some weight and jump started...a lot of my muscle groups. Goal is to keep with it a year and see what happens!
Next up: Africa 2014 and Japan 2015! Travel is the best thing to spend money on, hands down. Josh and I are overdue for a lazy trip somewhere too, though Croatia might have to wait in favor of something quick and dirty. Then I guess the list goes Ireland, Australia, Germany, Italy, maybe Turkey? Cambodia, China (blech, but needs to be done)...the world is so big, and I can't wait to keep experiencing it!