Short Story : My Journey To Machu Picchu '

Waving goodbye from the backseat of the car, as we pull out of my parent’s driveway. Looking out the window at the oddly, white shaped clouds. Thinking, I had never been away from my parents and my younger sister for so long, even though it was only for two weeks. I was excited and scared all at once, but I wasn’t too thrilled about the whole 29-hour drive there. Hoping that the trip would go well and nothing bad will happen to us.

Machu Picchu is one of the great Wonders of the World and a popular travel destination. The massive 15th century Inca citadel is located in Peru, sitting over 2,000-metres above the sea level. The mysterious structures have tickled our imagination ever since it was brought to the world’s attention in 1911.

The day has finally come to go on vacation. My family and I departed promptly from our house at 4:30 in the morning. Our flight was scheduled for 7 in the morning at Pittsburgh International Airport. We had to arrive their early because all people flying international had to be their two hours before the flight would leave. We boarded the flight out to Punta Cana, which is located in the Dominican Republic. I can remember that I was so excited to go, that I was the first on the flight. I am pretty sure that it took about three hours to get to the Dominican Republic from Pittsburgh. It was a really long flight to me because I could not wait to get there and I just wanted to land. Finally, the moment has come and we landed. When we departed

I flew from Las Vegas to an airport close to the Caribbean rainforest, this was my first time on a plane, I never would have imagined it would be to start my dream job and go to an exotic place. I mean, who could ever get so lucky on their first assignment. I was expecting to get sent to the middle of a hot desert or a humid rain forest infested with flying and biting bugs. I knew it was time to start my adventure when I got off that plane, but it was also time to start my adult life as well. The plane ride was full of me asking myself questions about this trip that I really could not answer. I kept asking myself what would I encounter when I reached the tribe, would they be accepting of me, would things be hostile or friendly, will I be able to adapt well enough to their style of living to be able to complete my assignment. I could not stop thinking of all the ways this trip could play

High in the Andean mountain range, nestled on a ridge between two mountains high above the valley floor below sits the amazing city and archaeological site of Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is about 1400 kilometers south of the Equator on the eastern slope of the Peruvian Andes. The site lies near the head waters of the Amazon River and is on the ridge between two prominent mountain peaks – Machu Picchu and Hauyna Picchu – about 500 meters above the valley bottom (Wright and Kenneth, 2-3). Machu Picchu, believed to be the royal estate of the Inca ruler Pachacuti, is the most well-known of all the Inca archaeological sites. Professor Hiram Bingham discovered the site in July of 1911 and excavated it with the help of National Geographic and

Religious experiences are experiences we have of the divine or God. These experiences may be Mystical experiences, conversion experiences or revelatory experiences. Paul Tillich states that religious experience is a feeling of ‘ultimate concern’, a feeling that demands a decisive decision from the one receiving it. He describes it as an encounter followed by a special understanding of its religious significance.

Last summer before school started my sister and I were told that we were going on a trip to Ute Lake in New Mexico. We had never been to New Mexico before, so we were super excited. We were told that we were taking my dad's cousin's jet ski with us. My sister and I could not wait to go to New Mexico.

It's been eight years. Eight years. Held captive against my will. I'm beginning to believe that I'll also die here.

Prior to understanding and describing religious experiences, it’s important to define the terms and typology of religious experiences. A point of contention for theologians is whether or not mystical or out-of-body experiences are religious in nature. To understand what the role religion plays in these experiences, for this context, you must define and understand what religion is and the major components that make it up. James states that religion “cannot stand for any single principle or essence, but is rather a collective name” (35). If you were to ask someone about the essence of an object or a concept, different people would provide various components or parts of it. You would end up of with a list ranging from objective and subjective responses, but it would provide a better understanding of it because, like religion, no one thing or person can be summed up in a sentence or a word.

The urge to type one more sentence was overwhelming. I could never finish the last few chapters. My inspiration slipped through my fingers like a breeze blowing through the leaves of a tree. After the crash, my focus disappeared and so did my brother. His death affected everyone in our small town we called home. He was the star quarterback at the high school, the family favorite, the smartest in his class, but besides that he was my best friend. My parents were devastated that he wasn’t there so they decided to move all the way from Hawaii to a small town in Florida close to the beach with my aunt Bailey, without me. Aunt Bailey was always the adventurer. I believe that’s where Cody and I got it from. Our parents made it pretty obvious that

Going to Mexico for the first time at age 5 was one unforgettable experience. Visiting has made my life change so much. Good or bad you ask? Both is the real answer. There were many different feelings and emotions throughout this experience. It has had an impact in my life for many reasons.

With fingers long and elegant, and nails always red, my mother’s hands once held the magic power to soothe my woes. As a child these hands wiped my tears and pulled me close enough to her to smell her motherly scent — a mixture of Nivea lotion and achiote, evidence that she had spent her morning in the kitchen. Years later, these same hands incited my tears.

It was the last day of my trip, and while I was washing plates in my grandmother’s house, the sunlight was reflected on the plates to my eyes. The fear going through my veins, my mind confused with everything that have happened two weeks ago. Uncertainty of what event would destroy or rebuild my heart. What would happen next ?. The future is unpredictable, so far that is a concept that now I understand. Considering the time spent in my country Colombia , vacations, friends, and parties were the words that stay on my mind for the first two weeks, otherwise the next two weeks were not what I planned. Firstable I was not supposed to be there for these last two weeks, but I am grateful. “No puedes viajar hoy” were the words asserted by the airline

Some believe there are two ways of interpreting the religious proposition of mysticism. One is the indirect experience of God. It takes the form of reported mystical experiences, which are believed to be the experiences of the foundations for what a mystical experience is all about. The other is the intellectual aspect. Individuals believe that as a result of the mystical experience, a better knowing and revelations are attained from the mystical experience.

As my eyes lit up like the fourth of July, I stood with my feet stuck to the ground, and my nerves tingle with happiness because of how marvelous it was. I didn't know a Mexico resort could be so nice.