Reflection

This past week, as most of you know, I was fortunate enough to tag along with JB to Peru. Since being back some of you have asked how the trip was, so I wanted to take a little bit of time to reflect and let you all in on my perspective of the trip. If you want to hear my story, feel free to continue reading, if not that’s ok too!

All the stories I’ve heard of this trip had come from JB’s previous visits to Peru, and to be honest I could never see myself going on one of these things if you asked me 2 or 3 years ago! Being a little bit older now, something clicked and it felt like the right time in my life to take a trip with JB and come back with my own stories and experiences. Let’s be real, I had no idea what to expect before leaving for Peru. I remember packing my bags and asking myself what the heck I was getting myself into. It didn’t even feel like I would be leaving for 8 days! But I was kind of glad I went into this with zero expectations in hoping that I would be able to make the most out of what was about to come.

Each day I witnessed or experienced something special. It didn’t matter if we were playing with the kids, painting, pulling weeds, or spreading fertilizer for 2 hours, every moment was a chance to build a memory or experience with the kids and even with my team. I have so many amazing moments that I could share with all of you, but in this post I wanted to share what I got out of this trip.

It was no secret that our presence made an impact with these kids, even with my awful attempt at speaking Spanish! Despite that, it was amazing to see how these kids were so full of life despite their current living/family conditions. Sometimes you would’ve never guessed that some of these kids go home to this…

or were picked up living by themselves on the street like this kid…

But man, the last thing they wanted from us was to feel sorry for them! Just look at this smile!

All they wanted to do was talk, play, get to know us, and make the most out of every minute everyday.

It was on our last day at the beach when I realized that this would be our last time with the kids. I kind of realized that yes the work and play I had put in for these kids would make a positive impact in their lives, but little did I know these kids would have taught me much more than I could’ve imagined.

Before I left on this trip, honestly, I was kind of stuck coasting along. Stuck in the same routine day in and day out, and from week to week. I’ll see people stuck behind their phones (non-work related, I understand) and miss out on opportunities to connect with people around them or simply miss something beautiful that might be happening right in front of them. I guess what I’m trying to say is these kids helped me come back refreshed and with a renewed perspective, showing me that there is more waiting for me out there! Wanting a deeper connection with all of you I see at the gym, and making the most of the gifts that I’m so lucky to have.

So for those of you who have asked if I had fun on my trip, my answer is simply…yes. But the meaning behind that “yes” is more than you can imagine. And it’s hard to write it all out on this post, I just hope I did those kids some justice with this. It’s easier to talk about it in person (although I might tear up), so if you’re interested I’d love to sit down and have coffee with anyone who would like to know more.

In the end, thank you all for your donations and helping me make even the slightest positive impact with these kids, and in turn giving me a new perspective!

5 replies
  1. Helen
    Helen says:

    Sounds like a trip that only few people get to experience and a priceless one. Glad you got to experience it Marko!

    Reply

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