(continued from "My Name is Forever Carved" part 9)
The world we thought we knew collided with a very different world. Each of us was struggling with the dawning of the rest of our lives. The students and I had been changed, were still changing and would continue to change, even after we left this newly discovered part of the planet.  The change was not visible, it was deep inside each of us. Perhaps in a place we just discovered.

You see films and documentaries about these kinds of destinations. And here we were starring in our own documentary. You hear commentary from TV celebrities and you wonder what it's like. Did this really happen?  It was hard to believe. Our home in the U.S. seemed like a place at the bottom of a well.  It was as if we were suddenly lifted to the top of the well and could see all around. It was ironic to me that we would find ourselves by first losing ourselves in a remote corner of the planet.

The families who received the stoves were changed as well. Having a vented cooking space would launch these families into a new era. It was like going from the iron-age to the industrial age in one day. We hugged and said good by forever. Then headed down the treacherous washed-out path to our lodge. From there it would take 3 days to retrace our steps and return to the U.S. The early morning mountain mist blanketed each of us as we quietly made our way down the path from the lodge to the road where several 4-wheel drive vehicles were waiting. The vehicles formed a caravan back to Chota where we boarded the local bus for the day trip through the mountains and villages to Cajamarca. 

One more night in the rustic hotel (that looked like a place Hemingway would visit), before we boarded our flight to Lima.  Our last night was on the plane and we arrived on U.S. soil early the next morning. This part of a trip is very important. It's like passing through the birth canal and entering a new world. Each of us was in his/her own space, attempting to process the experience and the impact on our own life. We were solemn and contemplative. With plenty of  time for reflection while waiting in stations and terminals, each of us set about preparing for re-entry to the hustle of the modern world. (continue to "Home Again" part 11)