After 7 long years, I had the opportunity to return to Peru in September 2022 and I met my paternal grandparents in Ayacucho for the first time. My Abuelita, as beautiful as I had always imagined her, only spoke Quechua and as we cried in each other’s arms, she was telling me that she had forgotten what her mother looked like until she saw me. For months, this moment stayed with me and I felt a strong connection to my ancestors but felt very lost at the same time. I didn’t know what to do or where to go but when I saw a post on Instagram about the Khantati Healing Retreat, I was called to reach out to Chaski.
Having visited Ayacucho and experiencing soroche, I was expecting to be knocked out for days. Thankfully I had made arrangements and arrived a couple days earlier to get acclimated and prepare for a journey that may not only be physically but also mentally and emotionally exhausting. Arriving to Isla del Sol, feeling the intense power from Pachamama and the sacred water of Lake Titicaca, meeting this group of beautiful souls who became my sisters, I felt nothing but gratitude as well as security from my ancestors that this is where I was supposed to be. With Chaski’s guidance, I found myself accepting my body’s strength and limits during the pilgrimage to the Chinkana ruins, I was able to develop a relationship with my ancestor who my Abuela introduced me to and I am eternally grateful for being able to carry this spiritual connection with me everyday.
Samantha Ericka Soto (she/her), 26
NJ | Ancestors: Ayacucho, Peru