PERU 2026
This is not a typical vacation or wellness retreat. This is your chance to reconnect with a wilder, truer version of yourself, to experience a magnitude of beauty that will change you, and to be reminded what truly matters, away from
the chaos and the noise.
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This retreat is an invitation to become more of who you are meant to be.
Who is this retreat for?
This retreat is designed to be beneficial and open to people from all walks of life. However, the work we engage in together will have some specific themes and ideas. If any of the following ideas or questions resonate, then this trip is especially for you. ​
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- "I feel like there's a gap between who I am now, and who I know I can be." ​
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- "At times, I feel overwhelmed by the chaos of the modern world, I know this is not how things are supposed to be."
- "I know I'm meant for more, but I don't know what that could be, or how to pursue it."
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- "I do not know who I am outside of the things I do (career, hobbies, relationships, etc.)
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- "I crave a life with a greater sense of meaning, and I long for a community to seek that with."
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Other Considerations
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- Physical Fitness: This trip will involve hiking distances of 8-10 miles for up to 8 days in a row at altitudes between 10,000-16,000 feet. We will have a day or two to acclimate, but participants should come into the retreat with a moderate-strong level of cardiovascular fitness.
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- We will engage in a process to learn how to excavate more of our true identity, formed not by external sources, but by the truth of who we are. At times this process will require participants to ask difficult questions, and maintain a level of openness to discuss those questions with others.
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Why the Andes? Why now?
I've found that wild places are a catalyst for personal transformation more than any other environment. Over four previous trips to the Peruvian Andes, I've found that these mountains have a particularly profound impact. The scale of beauty there is unlike anywhere else on the planet, and the effect of beauty this magnificent has profound effects on us.
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Anyway, not trying to wax poetic too hard. It's just an incredibly epic place and I love it a lot. We live in a time where the world often feels chaotic, dark, and overwhelming. But, that doesn't stop life from also having the capacity to be deeply good and beautiful. Sometimes it's necessary to get into a completely different space and culture, not to escape, but to remind ourselves of what's actually true about the world around us.
The Logistics
We will be partnering with First Step Expeditions, a tour company in Peru that provides high quality service for trekking and other adventures all over Peru. Here is our basic itinerary:
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August 26: Arrive in Huaraz. We'll transfer you from the airport to your hotel in town. We'll have some free time to wander around on our own or take a post-travel nap.
August 27: Full day acclimation hike to a high mountain lake.
August 28 - September 4: 8-day Trek through the Cordillera Huayhuash
September 5: Community service/engagement activity (details TBD, but this will be some sort of experience for us to connect/learn from local people).
September 6: Airport transfers to the Huaraz airport for your flight home.​
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***Important note: You are responsible for your travel logistics getting to and from Huaraz. This includes booking air travel from your country of residence to Lima, and then from Lima taking either an overnight bus or flight to Huaraz. First Step will help us transfer back to airports/bus stations at the end of the trip.
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The Retreat
Throughout the physical journey of the expedition, there will be facilitated elements that will create some real intention around the experience, rather than just being an adventure vacation.
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Every day of the trek will have a specific theme or question to explore, both individually and as a group. We will have daily group discussions as well as time for solo reflection, prayer, and meditation.
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The entire process will use my Formational Identity Coaching Program that has been meticulously created and proven over the past 4 years to help people close the gap between who they are, and who they want to be.
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Here are some of the ideas we will explore:
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- Learning "Narrative Vision," viewing life through the lens of story.
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- How to develop a healthy relationship with fear
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- Learning to uncover and dismantle false beliefs about the self and about life
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- Discovering what truly brings you to life and how to intersect those things with the world's needs in a meaningful way
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- Learn how to start creating a personalized value and belief system that you can fall back on in every circumstance life throws at you.
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By the end of the retreat, our goal is that you would feel deeply restored (if a bit tired physically), have a new found sense of peace during our chaotic times, and be able to return home with a stronger foundation and sense of identity that you can actually begin to live out in your daily life.
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Cost
Total Investment: $2300 + airfare
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Cost includes:
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Roundtrip airport transfers
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Full day acclimation hike on August 27th - includes transport, entrance, guide, breakfast, and lunch
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4 nights accommodation at a 3-star hotel
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Full 8-day Trek on the Huayhuash Circuit - all meals, tent, sleeping mat, guide, porterage, purified water, entrance tickets, and transportation
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Community experience on September 5th (location TBD) - transport, lunch, and guide
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Full Art of Story Formational Retreat program
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Small group size (maximum 8 participants)
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Cost excludes:
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Airfare
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Gratuity for First Step guides
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Dinners in town
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$500 Deposit is required to reserve your spot, the rest can be paid over the following months up until the retreat begins.
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A small number of supported spots are available for those who feel strongly called to this experience but are financially limited. If that’s you, you’re welcome to reach out and we can explore some possibilities.
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