Second Life.....Segunda Vida

 

Dear Friends, as you might remember, in 2011, I decided to suspend LCDM activities in Chincha and travel to the US, hoping to establish circles of support in different cities, to fundraise so that the purchasing of land and the building of LCDM's home could become a reality, and to dedicate some time to family and to taking care of a few unattended health issues. It has been two years since I left Chincha and many extraordinarily wonderful and difficult things have happened to me since, often leading me to unforseen yet invaluable situations that have forced me to drastically shift focus and have kept me from meeting several of my initial LCDM related goals. I am nonetheless deeply grateful for all the unexpected, beautiful, and painful moments I continue to experience, for they have and continue to contribute to my growth and personal enrichment.

Upon my return to the US, I realized very quickly that life wanted me close to my family, and though I managed to get a job as assistant director of admission at a cool little college in the northeast, a loved one's health crisis encouraged me to resign that position and move closer for some time. I can not tell you in words how precise life was in influencing that decision at that particular time because an earthquake of a personal nature was on its way to my life and the lives of my immediate family. I often say I am an obedient child of life and love, and I will go where ever they guide me. So, off I went as this personal earthquake hit, following my love's orders, and a year and some months later, I am in Southwest Florida, stronger, better, filled with gratitude and renewed motivation. Quite honestly, the past year was the most challenging of all my years, but also the most enriching. I have felt myself break open several times and have experienced very vividly my whole being expand in ways I could have never foreseen.

Yes, I have been without a paying job for the past year and a half, which has made a return trip to Peru impossible, but I maintain virtual contact with the kids, who  continue to be connected to each other and, electronically, to the greater LCDM family. I am working hard these days to raise the necessary funds so that I can be in Peru in August 2013. Meanwhile, I have been hard at work for the past year and a half bringing my emotion, integral health, and anti-violence education program to my most immediate, beloved, and precious local community: my family.

 My beautiful nephews free, open, naturally sun children.... Southwest Florida

It isn't often that one gets to share the work one values and loves so much with loved ones, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have a family that is not only open and receptive, but appreciative of the work and love I am sharing with them, and equally ready to share with me. Thank life for my brothers, for my sisters, for my parents, for my nieces and nephews, y por mi Luna hermosa.

 My beloved nephews Josh, Silverio and Jessy...your lighter hearts and minds are my greatest gifts!

My entire being radiates with gratitude to everyone and everything that continues to contribute to my learning. I am particularly grateful to my beautiful brother Eli for all the invaluable lessons he is teaching me daily, and to my life-altering giant nephews and nieces Jessy, Joshua, Silverio, Kaylob, Jaycob, Rei, Logan, Estefany, Melanie, Ericka, Serenity, Konny, Triana, and Jazmin.

Change Your Mind Change The World Panel. Picture of the morning session I attended

In the last eight months, I have been learning a lot about the Dalai Lama's nonviolence and emotion education work and about the many institutions and talented people he has inspired.  Deeply moved by His Holiness's simple yet profoundly communicative being, I decided to write to him about my emotion, integral well-being, and anti-violence education program and to attend an excellent discussion panel that His Holiness inspired and facilitated in Madison, Wisconsin. I took advantage of my trip to Madison to learn about and connect with several interesting organizations doing impressive work on sustainability, emotion research and education, meditative practices and sustainable well-being, disaster management, anti-violence education, and more. I was very lucky to have been able to meet with people from The Center for Investigating Health Minds and The Center for Disaster Management at University of Wisconsin, Madison. I also met with the directors of Sustain Dane and the RainBird Foundation. I sincerely thank each person from the above-mentioned organizations for the time and information they shared with me.

 Here are the panelists who were in attendance....

Truthfully, I could not have gone to Madison without my partner's help, and I would not have enjoyed my stay as much or have been able to so easily navigate through places and meetings without the warmth, hospitality, and generosity shown to me by my partner's awesome relatives...Thank you Spike, Lynnie, Kristen, Nancy, boys, everyone! You truly made my stay pleasant, and my experience in Madison memorable. Gracias!

Jon, Lynnie, Spike, Kristen, Nancy and their boys having a Peruvian-vegan lomo saltado dinner. Madison, Wisconsin. Love and thank yous to each of you!

I would also like to thank friends of LCDM Victor Lopez Del Aguila and his fianceé for finding me after a few years and presenting me with an extraordinary gift: the chance to attend the Gesundheit Institute's Summer School for Designing a Society in West Virginia. Victor, nunca terminaré de agradecerte por este gran regalo.

 The Farm House - Gesundheit Institute, Hillsboro, West Virginia

 The G Unit? :)

 Talent show night at Gesundheit...thank you Jacob!!!!!

I met so many incredible human beings these past 20 days at Gesundheit and learned so much from every single person there and from all the life surrounding the institute. Thank you Gesundheit Institute and School for Designing a Society for the unique opportunity to think, feel, speak, reflect, learn, love, laugh, share, and do with such an extraordinary group of people and in such a remarkable, nature-filled space. nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah na nah...tutto tutto tutto tutto tuuuuuuttoooooooo! Los quiero and thank you!!!!!!

With renewed spirits and with help from every person out there who believes in our work, I hope to be able to fully reactivate La Casa De Mayten by 2014 and have the necessary funds to buy land and begin building LCDM's permanent base in Peru. To that effect, I plan to dedicate the upcoming year to traveling around the US, organizing circles of support in different cities, and visiting a variety of like-minded organizations to learn from their experiences, exchange ideas and passions, and develop potential partnerships. I also hope to attend a handful of educational courses that will help me as Director become more aware and better prepared for the work ahead.

The idea for our support circles will be to invite a group of at least 10 people per circle to learn more about LCDM's work, commit to continue cultivating a meaningful relationship with LCDM, and become a permanent source of friendship and support in the form of monetary and material donations, volunteer referrals, information resource, ideas hub, organizational partners, emotional support, etc. If you have volunteered with LCDM before, or have been following our blog closely and feel connected to our vision and work and would like to be considered as a potential circle organizer, please email me at lacasademayten@gmail.com so we can start a conversation about what we can do together in your community. In the upcoming weeks, I will post more information about my travel plans and the project's most immediate needs and objectives. Please stay tuned!!!!

Family, friends, colleagues, supporters and critics: thank you sincerely for the invaluable lessons received from you this past two years. I am a better human being because of you, and I feel that I am on my way to many more life altering lessons which will continue to enrich my life, my work, and all the opportunities for sharing and exchanging in the future.

 My super extraordinary Mama, moi and my beautiful sister

 Camping dinner in the rain with mom and sister

Our dear friends Betty and Ofie who shared their house, life, and friendship with us...thank you! Williamstown, MA

I feel like a swollen caterpillar ready to burst into a second, new, better life. One that is rich with learning opportunities, unconditional love, profound gratitude, moments of abandoned laughter and lightness, deeply difficult and painful challenges that come wrapped around deeply luminous possibilities, and perspective-altering growth.
Writing on this blog became nearly impossible for me these past two years. Each emotion felt like a 50 ton rock I could not lift from my voice. I thank each of you who helped me with your thoughts, comments, ideas, disagreements, direct honesty, and unique perspectives to free my whole being from this invisible weight I have now managed to lift enough to write today. I love each of you deeply and I will carry you in me forever.

 Andy et moi hitchhiking through la Araucania

Before closing this entry, I want to thank my incredible partner for his endless love, for his faith in my spirit, in all that I am and can become, and in my dreams for LCDM, for his overwhelming generosity and support, for working side by side with me to keep LCDM alive these past five years, for hitchhiking and riding on tiny motorcycles through whole countries with me, for building houses and life from scratch with me, and for never letting go of my heart and eyes and trustingly walking with me during the last years, even when times turned painful, scary, and uncertain.

Packing and saying goodbye to our home in Cusco

All that you are Andy pushes me to be better, to be light, to be wholesomely and completely. You more than anyone know my being, and I could not be without the peace your eyes bring me. Your oceanic heart sustains me mi amor y agradezco a la gran madre vida y natura por la belleza y fortaleza de tu ser. Que la vida siga dandonos amor para dar, y que nuestros caminos sigan forjandose en luz, en ganas de bien para todos, en risas abiertas y libres. Gracias Andy por todo lo que eres para mi y para el mundo. Until next time everyone! Besos, warmth, health, music, laughter, sun light, creativity, love, and infinite possibilities to you!  Please stay tuned for my next entry coming soon!!!!