こんにちは! I'm in Japan!

I was in elementary school in a music program called H.A.M.S (Highly Abled Musical Students) when my love of Japan first began. We sang a song about Kyoto. It was my favorite.

At the same time, in another class, we were reading the story of Sadako and the 1,000 paper cranes she tried to make in order to make a wish. I began to research more about Japan by myself. The balance that Japan had between spirituality and modernity was what pulled me in. I fell in love.

Since that time I devoted myself to learning Japanese. I lived and breathed the culture. Hours on end, I taught myself how to think, speak, read, and write in Japanese. I watched Japanese movies and dramas. I labeled items around the house in Japanese. I soon discovered Japanese cartoons and began watching those as well. Everything to bring myself closer to the culture that I had learned about as a little girl.

When I felt I had hit a wall in learning Japanese, I found a Japanese language weekend school to help me with my learning. I had a multitude of pictures of Japan everywhere around me. One picture I especially liked, I posted as my background on my first Dell laptop. It was a picture of the Starbucks in Shibuya, Tokyo-Japan.

I can not describe how humble and grateful I am for everything that I've experienced since I left the United States. When I share my experiences with you all, it's never to brag, but to show you that I am making my dreams come true and that I am absolutely no different from you. I had low self-esteem growing up. I didn't think I was good enough for many things in my life. I always felt inferior. I always settled. It wasn't until I changed how I thought and how I spoke to myself that I realized, I can do anything. I am powerful. Best of all, everyone can accomplish all of their dreams. First, you just have to monitor how you think to yourself and stop internally putting yourself down. You are worthy! You are able! Everything is possible! Just know WHAT you want! Do your homework! Know and research as much as you can about what you want. Don't think about "how" you will get it, because I promise that will present itself to you later. 

Living abroad, becoming fluent in multiple languages, and owning my own business, were all my dreams since I was very little. Last year, I made these things my goals, and from my goals I made them my plans. At the end of last year and even now, somehow all of my goals have been happening one after the other.

Here I am in Tokyo, Japan. One of my oldest dreams has finally come true. I am truly grateful for this experience.

Follow your Dreams!


The picture I had of Shibuya was almost exactly similar to this one (but I took this pic this time).

Back in Cusco

And so, I'm back in Cusco.

I love it! I love seeing old faces and eating at my favorite restaurants (where many people still remember me and offer me discounts and free drinks. SCORE!).

I came back to Cusco because I fell in love with the city, the mountains, and its people. I also came back to Cusco for a few business opportunities that I wanted to pursue.  Since I've been back though, I've fallen into doing random business development projects.

Let me explain.

My first day back in Cusco, I went to one of my favorite restaurants, Mr. Soup. Butttt they were closed, so I went to another of my next favorite restaurants: Urpi.

There I met a girl who was new (considering I never saw her when I was living in Cusco earlier this year and I would go there with friends a few times a week). Long story short, we started hanging out, and the next day she introduced me to her friend who's a masseuse. Without me saying anything about my background, the masseuse started talking to me about how she needed help informing tourists of her services and asked if there was any information I knew of that could help. And so began another business development assignment in Cusco.

In the end, I gave her an online presence and a bit of advice on how to reach westerners. My values were tempted when she insisted on paying me. Fortunately for her, I have a rule against charging people in "developing" countries (the concept of a country being classified as "developed" is an argument that I'll save for another day).

After kicking myself for not taking the money and then buying a myself a brownie sundae for a job well-done, I'm glad to say that I am proud of myself. :)

Out with my new friend, Maria, from Urpi.

The Urpi's crew.

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On another note, while back in Cusco I have also had the opportunity to visit some of my favorite people in the whole world. I swear, just about every conversation I have with these people that I call my mentors, friends, and family, leaves me feeling enlightened and ready to take on the world 3x's over.

Upon my first day back and seeing my old colleagues, I was greeted with "we need you! We have a lot of work to do." hahahaha Of course, while I was only really expecting to visit, I am always ecstatic to work with Señor Francisco and Señora Nancy. I can't describe the pull I feel to help these people, but at the same time another country is calling me, and it has been calling me since I was little (you'll find out soon enough where).

I know this will not be the last I see of Señor Francisco, Señora Nancy, their family and everyone from the Coca Museum! I look forward to my next destination, as I think it will only allow me to help these wonderful people even more and make the products/services we offer, that more unique and profitable.

Follow your dreams!



Out for lunch.

Fruitillada.