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Cloud forest of Ecuador via Mariano Escava - one of the locations we will be visiting

I’m leaving for the Andes of Ecuador in a couple of days. I’m filled with both anxiety and excitement. I can barely believe it—a dream realized, here before me, ready for me to take the first steps onto a path that will shape the next ten years of my life, and hopefully many more if all goes well.

Sembrar Archives, founded by Daniela and me, has a first draft of the language for this initiative, but we are still refining it along with the website. We are the founders and, for now, the only team members. We recently put out a call for a videographer and grant writers and received many wonderful replies (thank you!). I’ll be responding and scheduling interviews once we return from this journey. We will also eventually need an assistant and security, but those roles will have to wait until we receive funding. At the moment, we are financing this work ourselves while pursuing grants, donations, and other forms of support.

It’s important that we stay the course and trust that Creator will provide and guide us along this journey. This work is Spirit-led—a calling, our life’s mission. We’ve shaped our lives in a way that makes space for this vision to exist and come to fruition. We have already been invited into multiple Indigenous communities, from the Andes to the Amazon, from Brazil to the Arctic. Our first journey begins in the Andes of Ecuador. Each Indigenous community and tribe that welcomes us will have its own book, documentary, and other works created in collaboration with them.

SEMBRAR Archives is a long-term initiative rooted in relationship, reciprocity, and reverence. Dedicated to building meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities around the world, the project documents and honors the wisdom, histories, cosmologies, and living traditions that communities choose to share.

As humanity stands at a crossroads, Indigenous wisdom offers enduring teachings for reimagining our collective future and remembering what it means to live in right relationship with ourselves, one another, and the living world.

Through books, documentaries, photography, and collaborative storytelling, Sembrar Archives is creating a living archive that celebrates the diversity and resilience of Indigenous cultures while helping preserve their stories, wisdom, and ways of knowing for generations to come.

Another part of the Andes - by Mariano Escava

Many of these places are protected from outsiders, so it is an incredible honor to be welcomed into their world and their homes. We are being guided by a medicine woman who is taking us straight into the mountains after we land — there is a ceremony that must take place before we are permitted to enter these communities.

“You need permission from the Apus, the mountain spirits who protect the people and the land.”

My first day there will be dedicated to opening the space, energetic alignment, and consciously entering the frequency of this work. She has met with us online several times and is deeply aware of the purpose behind Sembrar Archives. She is a seer, as Daniela and I are, and it is a gift to be in her presence. She has told us that we are being welcomed as family, and that this work is written in the stars—that it is meant to be.

One of the communities we will visit is an all-women’s tribe that will become the heart of our work in the Andes of Ecuador. They are guardians of ancestral Andean wisdom, keepers of traditional midwifery, plant medicine, permaculture, living food traditions, and the Andean cosmovision. The medicine woman guiding us is part of this lineage and community, and this is where we will spend the majority of our time.

Essentially, this first journey is about being in community. It is about introductions, building relationships with the people of the Andes, and being fully present—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We will return for a much longer stay to continue this work.

Mentally, I don’t think I’ve fully processed what is about to happen. I don’t think anyone truly can until they are there—living, and sharing space with these beautiful people who will be the first to shape this journey, this project, and our hearts.

Below I’m sharing videos so I don’t have to make one long, extensive list. There’s a video of my crossbody bag, which will be with me at all times, another of my backpack, and another showing my field notes journal. As for my main suitcase (a small one), I’ll include a written list since I’m not bringing a ton of things.

Anything I need that I don’t pack, I’ll purchase at the Indigenous markets to help support the local communities. Like heavier wool ponchos.

Let me start with what’s in my suitcase.

Since we’ll be traveling through different terrains and environments in the Andes, I packed only the essentials:

Combat boots for hiking (I show them in one of the videos).
Comfortable trekking shoes with high-traction soles to help prevent slipping.
Lightweight shawls to protect my skin from the intense sun at high altitudes.
Thicker shawls for areas with strong winds and dust. I was told I’ll need to cover my face at times for protection.
Three long skirts, as I was asked to bring traditional attire, along with two dresses that I can layer with a shawl, poncho, or sweater for community gatherings and ceremonies.
Four pairs of comfortable hiking pants that help wick away sweat and keep me cool while trekking.
Five tops, mostly linen shirts and tank tops that I can tuck into my skirts or hiking pants.
Breathable, moisture-wicking bamboo socks.
Three pairs of warmer pants and thicker long-sleeve layers for the evenings, when temperatures drop significantly.
Unscented toiletries to avoid attracting insects.
Clothing made from organic, natural fibers—no polyester or synthetic materials.

Now, onto the videos.

I’ll send out another entry once I return. I can’t wait to share everything with you. Sending you all my love.

Until we meet again.

Love, Juliet ᥫ᭡

Field Notes 001: Ready for the Andes — A Look Inside My Bag | Packing Essentials

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