Something’s ringing. Something’s annoying. Something’s penetrating my happy dream world.

I open my eyes slowly.

5.37am.

WTF? I jolt up in bed, panicked, heart raising, hands trembling.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

How could that have happened? How can it be 5.37? How could I have slept through three freakin’ alarm clocks?

No point in beating myself up. I jump out of bed, brush my teeth and by 5.40 I’m out of my apartment, trying to find a cab.

It’s April 18^th, the day of my trip to Peru and I’m not off to a great start.

I run into a flight attendant, he calls his cab service of trust. I’m at the airport at 6 am. I check-in at the first class desk, rush through security and arrive at the gate at 6.10am.

Off to a fantastic start after all!

The flight is phenomenal. The entire six hours down to Bogota is nothing but blue skies and clear views: I see the Caribbean islands in all their glorious beauty. I’m in awe. I’m fulfilled.

It gets even better than that. The flight from Bogota to Lima is breathtaking. The Andes are incredible, powerful and beyond anything I’ve ever seen before.

I sit there and cry. I am grateful. I am blessed. I am freaking lucky to have such an incredible life.

My 10 days in Peru were magical.

Lima was awesome; though very American. Cusco was beautiful; though touristy. Pisac was amazing and peaceful and real; oh so real.

I walked through the many streets of these old towns. I touched Incan ruins. I finally saw sights I had learned about in school.

I had to pinch myself more than once to make sure that I was really there.

The many worries of everyday life were gone; lovingly stored in the back of my brain. At the forefront were the dark, big eyes of beautiful Peruvian kids, conversations with my fellow adventurers, stories of the books’ I read and the profoundness of the historic sights that surrounded us. I dove into the Peruvian culture, seeing their world with curious eyes: the different colors, the softness of the landscape, the overwhelming power of the peaks, the beauty of the language and the happy smiles on the faces will forever stay in my heart.

I observed the way Peruvian women “dealt” with food; when really they didn’t. They ate, the enjoyed, they savored, they loved. Their skin, so soft, glowing and darkened by the sun. Their bodies, so strong, so beautiful, natural and not altered by our Western standards. Their smiles, so happy, so friendly and free of the concern to have Heidi Klum’s butt.

I was mesmerized. I felt empowered. I felt ready to let go of my need for perfection, my need to be skinny, my need to please others and replaced it with the most simple, but effective mantra of all: I eat when I’m hungry and stop when I’m full.

I repeated it in my head over and over and over again. I said it out loud, reminding myself that it is OK to listen to my body, that it is OK to indulge, that it is OK to join others in the fun of life. I was at balance and I was in awe.

Being disconnected from the Internet (my personal choice) and cut off from the negativity of the Western world opened up a portal to find the reality that could be ours, that should be mine. A reality that’s not necessarily easier, but definitely slower, more grounded and a hell of a lot more fulfilled

I felt supported by Pachamama and by the full moon shining over The Sacred Valley. I felt loved by my girlfriends and saved by myself. I felt confident, trusting and doubtlessly better about myself than ever before.

I fell in love with this country that’s so different than anything I’ve seen before. I fell in love with the simple lifestyle and the more connected way of living and I realized once again that life is more than appearances, money and the number of comments on my blog.

Life is more. You are more.  

Life is you. That’s all you need. You, yourself and that deep, deep connection with your innermost core.

If you have that, you are whole. You are true. You are free.