A ruined city of lost dreams and history stands out among the Andes mountains. Machu Picchu is known globally as an ancient wonder of the Earth. But for a select group who can trace our roots back to the Incan people, these renowned terraces and stone walls are more than a bit of history – they’re a part of us. My visit to Peru was not only a summer trip but a connection to my past – who I am and where I come from. Everyone should take the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of their ancestors, no matter their origin, because of the transformative experience.

My adventure started with a small box of Froot Loops in the ancient Incan capital of Cusco. I also downed a bitter cup of mate de coca, a traditional Andean tea made from coca leaves, to combat altitude sickness and hopefully prevent me from fainting at the 11,200-foot altitude. From Cusco I took a train to the city of Aguas Calientes, a town that was founded by railroad workers but now feeds directly off of tourism.

I had never taken a train before, and the ride through the Andes mountains was a once-in-a-lifetime first experience. The train was gray with a very economy-style atmosphere. The other riders were not wealthy or noble, but instead sought a journey rich in adventure.

Through the horde of locals that rushed us when we got off, my family and I held hands. We boarded the bus that would navigate a zig zag road across the mountain face on a path just as wide as the bus itself. It was physically impossible to scale the mountain via a straight road, since the bus would certainly back flip. As I looked down at the town, now smaller from my new altitude, we ascended into the clouds.

When I got off the bus, I inhaled the ruggedness of the mountains, the fresh vegetation untouched by industry. What began as a desire for adventure had blossomed into fruition, and now, standing meters from the ancient Incan stairs, I trembled. What if the experience didn’t live up to my expectations? Having traveled thousands of miles, I shook the preposterous idea from my mind.

Anxious to begin, I tugged on my parents’ jackets. The stairs leading to the ancient city were crude and large. I found myself leaping from step to step, accelerating like a race car sprinting to the finish line. At last, I stopped. Not because I had reached the promised land, but because I was bent over and gasping in pain: 7,972 feet above sea level is no joke; I had stopped just in time to prevent myself from puking on the ancient stone steps. Numb to the pain after realizing where I was standing, I began my ascent again.

Has your life ever seemed insignificant in the presence of greatness? Have you ever played out your life in a matter of seconds in an out-of-body experience? My pupils widened. My heart stopped for a second. My mouth gaped in disbelief. My knees, barely holding up my body, felt like a pair of thin stilts. I had turned into a monolith myself, towering over this lost city.

Every stone had been cut to perfection. No mortar held these boulders together; instead, every wall was composed of stones that fit perfectly with one another and were so heavy, not even the strongest mountain wind could knock them over. Some rooms had stone calendars to measure the solstice, a discovery that proves the religious nature of this city. Open spaces held llamas grazing. The gentle giant Huayna Picchu, the mountain that creates the background for Machu Picchu and the land formation you’d recognize on any postcard, stood now, just as it had once overlooked the Incan people. Did the Incas who lived here know the magnitude of this place they built? We may never know, but while I walked among the ruins my ancestors created, I certainly felt its significance. For the only time in my life, I felt completely at peace with the world and its people.

My description of Machu Picchu does not adequately convey the feelings that flowed through me. Seeing it in person made the experience unforgettable but nevertheless indescribable. Every person on this planet has a place from which they originated. Wherever that may be, may the life adventures of all people lead to beautiful bliss and serenity in their ancestors’ homelands.