Where did you go this summer? Maybe the beach? Grandma’s house? Nowhere? Did any of you go to South America? Well high school assistant principal Mrs. Michelle Murphy did.

Mrs. Murphy’s captivating 17-day trip to Peru saw her traveling from Lima to Cusco, spotting jaguars, practicing her machete skills, and researching birds.

She started her trip in Lima, Peru. From there, she drove to Cusco, and then she was on her way to the Amazon Rainforest.

It was Mrs. Murphy’s dream to visit the ancient mountaintop city of Machu Picchu (Google it and be amazed) which was her motivating factor to go on the trip.

She is also an avid bird researcher and helped start up the Manu Biolodge Bird Research Program in Southern Peru. When she wasn’t trailblazing or hiking Machu Picchu, she was submitting all of her Bird Research data to Cornell University.

While in the Amazon Rainforest in Peru, Mrs. Murphy worked with different scientists and biologists, researched parrots, and submitted data to Cornell.

She also toured the cities of Cusco and Lima, hiked, explored Machu Picchu, and took in the culture and scenery.

For the whole 17 day trip, Murphy spent only $5000, including flights, food, and hotels.

Mrs. Murphy also worked in a research station that borders the no-contact Mashco Piro tribe who inhabit remote regions of the dense Amazon Rainforest. Because the tribe lives in such an isolated condition, outsiders aren’t allowed to contact them in order to both preserve their culture and protect them from outside illnesses.

On her frequent night hikes, Mrs. Murphy spotted “huge and amazing” plants, animals, and insects. Once, Murphy saw a jaguar only 30 feet away from her.

In her experience, the people were very friendly, and even though she initially traveled alone, she made some friends on the last few days of her trip who traveled with her.

There is no doubt that this trip was dangerous at times, especially with Mrs. Murphy traveling alone most of the time. That is why, even though she likes traveling alone, Mrs. Murphy urges future travelers to do their research and be careful.

Naturally, there were some culture shocks, such as the toilets in the airport bathroom not having any toilet paper or even toilet seats. But for the most part, Mrs. Murphy enjoyed learning about the new culture. In fact, her favorite part of the trip was hiking Machu Picchu and learning about the environment alongside biologists and scientists.

Not surprisingly, her least favorite part of the trip was spending money and waiting on the plane, but even still, when asked if she would do anything differently if she got to do this trip again, Mrs. Murphy said, “No, it all worked out.”

While it is important to stay safe, going out of your comfort zone every once in a while can prove very positive for mental health, help you learn and grow, and remind you that it’s a big world out there.