It was the fall of 1999, and I was in Peru. We were hiking the Inca trail to get to Machu Picchu … it was only a day hike as we rode the train most of the way. Many do the five-day hike – I have no idea how they do it, as it is quite a journey.
Now, this hike is one in which the trail only went up – there is quite an elevation that you 
walk including gigantic stairs you take to come into the top of Machu Picchu. I was quite ambitious back then, figuring I could handle it, even though I had not trained prior coming to Peru. I had not been walking or exercising at all, and my legs and body were not in shape to be doing what I was.
Being a crystal girl, I even took a backpack full of my prize crystals, so they could soak up the energies of the Andes and Machu Picchu. I knew I had been there in other lifetimes, so I was eager to experience it again. Did I mention that this backpack weighed probably 30 or more pounds?
I was traveling with a small group of 4 and a guide. He noticed I was lagging behind as I huffed and puffed my way up the trail. At one point, he pointed off to the distance a structure. He asked if I saw it. I was excited as he did, because I thought it was our destination and thinking to my Self, “Great, I can make that!” I said yes to him, and then he laid the bomb on me … “That’s halfway and where we will have lunch.” Ugh!
I realized I needed to put one foot in front of the other and just keep going. I decided not to focus on the struggle and pain I was feeling, but upon the beauty that was surrounding me. After all, we were deep into the Andes climbing great heights and it was spectacular.
As I made this choice, I became more and more aware of the earth I walked upon, the sounds of the birds and the winds, the sights of the luscious jungle and its amazing vegetation, the beautiful Urubamba valley and the river running through it, and the mountain range that you could see for miles and miles. We would eventually end up at an elevation of almost 10,000 feet.
I began to notice caterpillars that were crossing the path … they were gorgeous – black with bright yellow and green markings. I saw the first one and thought it was cool, but as I kept walking there was another, then another, and another. I began to become more present in the moment and began counting them. This continued during the whole hike; in all, I believe there were 22 of them.
We arrived at the midpoint for lunch. We were supposed to be able to purchase lunch, but they had run out of food. Remember, that heavy backpack? Well, I am a Cancer who always comes prepared and loves to take care of and nourish others … I had little cans of tuna, apples, and other snacks with me. As we feasted, each of us were present with the nutrition we were sharing. We focused on what we did have, not what we didn’t.
One of the things I noticed in Peru … everything seems to go up … hills, mountains, stairs. I started thinking about it as a metaphor with the journey I was on. At the end of the hike, we had to climb huge stairs (literally, I crawled up them) in order to enter Machu Picchu. As we came over the horizon and entered through the Gate of the Sun. We looked down into the complex of Machu Picchu … it was amazing as the sun shown through the gate, then began to set over the valley. We descended into its magic.
It was like the caterpillars had transformed into butterflies … I had not only made it through the hike, but also felt like I was birthed into a new moment of time. I was free from the chrysalis of the jungle, and entered into a new space of beauty, freedom, and a feeling of welcome home.
I thanked the caterpillars for helping me along the way to be present in the moments I had with them and for being a part of my journey. To this day, I still see and feel the journey I took because I was so present as I did so.
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