Lessons from the Inca Trail that Shaped my Motherhood

As I sit here to write this with a cup of hot tea in the very wee hours of a cold February morning, I can hear my six-month-old playing with toys next to me. It’s just the two of us awake at 4 a.m. in our otherwise quiet house after a restless night.

A past version of Erin would have very begrudgingly walked down those stairs with exhaustion in my bones, thinking this was going to be quite a long day. Taking care of three kids on little sleep with a 4 a.m. wake-up is not something most people treasure.

But waking up today, this version of me felt something different. With years of experience now as a mom, I do treasure a quiet early wake-up. It gives me an excuse to do things I otherwise wouldn’t have time for. A hot cup of tea in a quiet house and a chance to write while I cuddle my sweet baby actually does sound nice. And the exhaustion has moved through me in new ways. Yes, I am tired. But it’s not the same anymore. It’s a tired that knows its place. A tired that understands its purpose. Helping raise, homeschool, and love three young souls is tiring work, and yet I feel that this is what it’s all about, to be here on this planet. To be used up. To pour out so much love that your bones ache but your heart bursts at the brim.

A few mornings ago, my girls found an old passport of mine. Past Erin had the chance to travel to 18 countries throughout my 20s. They asked if I could “read” them my story (passport), and I giggled to myself at how sweet that was. As I flipped through the stamps that hold an echo of myself, each one a little chapter of my life, I paused on the Peru stamp and rubbed my thumb over it.

Ten years ago, in 2016, my cousin and I made plans to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Neither of us had any hiking experience to speak of, and we didn’t really know what we were signing up for.

The four-day experience in the Andes Mountains is hands down the most adventurous thing I’ve ever done (that is, until I became a mother). As I looked back on my notes from that experience, I began to realize that this hike made a huge impact on who I am today as a mother. So many of the words I had written felt like lessons I needed to learn as a mom.

The past version of our pre-kid selves is still nestled within us. It shapes who we are. The stories we hold continue to play a background role in how we approach and move through the world. I pulled out seven lessons from my experience on the trail that have helped influence my motherhood journey, and I shared these revelations in my most recent podcast episode. This episode is a reminder that the adventurous, brave woman you were before motherhood didn’t disappear. She became the foundation for the mother you are now. Your past experiences are not separate from your motherhood journey. They prepared you for it.

My hope is that this inspires you to do the same. To look back on your past self and see what you can find that has shaped who you are. The biggest lesson I learned on those mountains: I can do really hard things even if I’ve never done them before. And those hard things become the greatest memories.

Tune into the episode on Spotify Apple or Youtube.

And you can watch my old travel video below!