Often during our nights in Cusco, Peru we find ourselves wandering the streets through plazas and markets, thoroughly enjoying the beauty and the culture. As we do so I am frequently overwhelmed by the language being spoken around me. While there are many words that I recognize and a few phrases I can say, my brain gets scared and exhausted from the constant failed translations. People are talking in various speeds and tones all around me and I struggle to understand. It is all I can do to decipher a small portion of what they say. But if nothing else, I've learned from my plethora of traveling experiences that the most important languages are not spoken with the mouth or deciphered by the mind. The most important languages are felt. Throughout this world there are billions of people who learn and speak various languages, but one thing every single one of us has in common is a human heart with which we can communicate through feelings.
My favorite part about our nights in Peru, and the days for that matter, is the connection we make with the people that we don't always understand. Young girls often like to approach Brady, because he is tall, handsome and fun, and try to sell him whatever they have to offer that day. Although he can communicate almost perfectly with them, I am usually confused. But one thing that I understand perfectly is the laughter that is always exchanged. The words that they speak don't always make sense... but when I hear their giggles I understand them perfectly; I know exactly how they feel. The exchange of laughter with smiling eyes can be communicated across any language or culture perfectly with the hearts that we've all been blessed with.
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