A Little More In Focus

The week in Urubamba was absolutely stunning. I came back to my desk in Cuzco feeling refreshed, exhausted from pressing one little button Tuesday through Thursday and simply inspired. Some of the realizations I am left with are as follows: 

• Jane and Selvy, as mentioned in the previous post, are an unbelievable couple. They have so much love for other people and each other and deserved the best day to celebrate that love and their hard work. I hope it was. Just meeting their families and friends solidified this even more, and I am so thankful for all who I met. 
• It is absolutely amazing that so many family members and friends could be there; about 20 Australians flew over for a week, and Selvy's family from Lima all came. The fact that they were all gathered in the same yard made both the bride and groom cry as they thanked all for making such efforts to come. 
• Culture clash should be part of our lives more. I rode a tuk-tuk early that morning with the bridesmaids to Jane's hotel and place of preparation. Everything throughout the ceremony was said in both languages. We had Australians trying to speak Spanish (el baaan-yo) and Peruvians trying to speak English (what's a dunny?), a Peruvian nut-flavoured cake underneath Jane's favorite chocolate cake, traditional drums and pipes followed by "Land Down Under" or Jason Mraz, Pisco Sours or Cranberry vodkas. 
• I miss my guy friends. Selvy's groomsmen were hilarious to be around and salsa with, and I left thinking, wow, my guy friends are men I truly respect and enjoy being around. 
• Dancing is pretty great. Twinkle lights under twinkling stars, salsa music and a ready-to-go crowd makes me feel alive. And there is a new favorite song. Another reason cultures should clash more.  
• I loved photographing a wedding. Instead of just seeming nosy and obsessive about asking about all of the little details of the dress, hotel, jewelry, flowers, etc., I had to capture each of these things. Scurrying around trying to document each moment was a rush and made me appreciate the finer details. Making everyone stop, slow down and smile on such a crazy day turned out wonderfully. 

To see a few of the photos I took from Jane and Selvy's wedding, please visit my Flickr site. There are many, many more photos, so check for updates. Thank you, Keith, for everything. :)