Reflections

“Not all those who wander are lost.” -J.R.R. Tolkien

My last run in the Andes started out similar to the first: struggling up hills in a cheap pair of water shoes. But instead of the anxiety and anticipation that dominated thoughts for our initial weeks in Ecuador, my mind wandered in wistful reflection about our experiences here and all that we’ve learned…

Communication happens – Language sometimes just gets in the way. It’s amazing what can be conveyed through simple gestures and facial expressions. Words are currency to make the exchange of ideas easier. But even when lacking the right ones, we invariably find a way to communicate.

Mistakes accelerate learning – I hate making mistakes. Travel through Ecuador imposed dozens daily. Many were unavoidable. Most were just annoying. Few were truly serious. I learned so much from all of them.

Discuss what matters most – Kids can handle more of what we normally shield them from. Escaping our normal, cozy bubble of first-world problems, subjects like poverty, climate change, crime, disease, and survival of the fittest were all things we encountered head on. Kids will make sense of what they can through questions. LOTS of questions. All of them good.

Resilience through discomfort – Countless moments were spent hot, tired, hungry, bored, and just generally disagreeable. Instances of joy can be discovered through the simplest of accommodations (like finding a bathroom with dry toilet paper). You just learn to deal. It helps put everything else in perspective.

Travel imparts wisdom – Few endeavors rely so heavily upon experience as much as travel does. Fewer still can reshape those experiences to add the richness of perhaps an entirely new perspective in response. These added gray hairs have no correlation with being stuck with only my family for two months, it’s my newfound wisdom shining through.

The days were long but the weeks flew by. The world now seems bigger yet more in reach. Our adventure is coming to its end, but the stories will last far longer for the Perrin family. Sort of like my water shoes, which I’ll leave by the river bank. Perhaps an even longer journey awaits them as well.

https://perrinfamily.blog/itinerary/