It's been 52 days since I left Chapel Hill, NC. I've spent 37 of those days in the beautiful country of Ecuador. It's only been a little over a month, yet I feel like I've known this place, specifically Cañar, for ages. The town I live in is small, and we are encircled by majestic mountains. Even now, as I sit in a tiny office, and gaze out the window, I see an imperfectly perfect mountain. And it blows my mind to think about the Cañari and Incan people, that once climbed these same mountains. I live 10/15 minutes from Ingapirca, the largest and best preserved archeological place in Ecuador.
It was there, that after many dark days and nights, the Cañaris and Incas came together to live in harmony. Cañaris worshipped the moon; Incas worshipped the sun. Ages ago, they united, and coexisted just 15 minutes away from this little office. It's crazy to imagine the scene…
I'll forever by inspired by this story—the message it sends us. Today, in a world that is living a paradox of connectivity and disconnectivity, we have all the tools we need to connect with somebody across the ocean, however, this same technology takes us away from people living right around us. The list goes on, but what I'm getting to is we should spend less time looking at a screen, and more time looking at faces. That's only the first step, but it's highly important; just as important as it is for us remember to love and accept one another, unconditionally. Why not give peace a chance? ☮
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope some day you join us, and the world will live as one." – John Lennon
