During the first week of school, all students ever hear in the hallways is, “Hey, how was your summer?” Although that might be a highlight of some people’s back to school routine, students rarely ever hear the stories from the staff members, who have had just as much fun and maybe even more interesting stories to share. Assistant Principal Janan Slough, the 11th grade administrator, is one such staff member.
Over the past summer, Slough and her husband travelled 3,706 miles to Machu Picchu, Peru, where they spent two weeks immersing themselves in the culture and braving the daunting journey up the famous mountains.
Slough and her husband decided to go on this journey to celebrate their 60th birthdays together.
“We did it all for ourselves and it was great, such a wonderful adventure,” Slough commented.
Before Slough and her husband started their hike, they spent their first week in Peru in Lake Titicaca. Adjusting to the high altitude beforehand made the hike more bearable. The two also travelled between Puna, Cusco and the Sacred Valley before their big trek.
The mountains of Machu Picchu are elevated to 15,237 feet and the entire hike took seven days, each day they travelled between eight and ten miles.
“The terrain was rough, but after each day of walking we stayed in these lodges along the way. All we had to do was carry our day bags on our backs and we actually had donkeys that carried our full backpacks. We did the luxury hiking tour, in the lodges we had running water and could shower and food was provided,” Slough said.
Slough has always been a world traveller. As a child, Slough spent her summers with her family in Germany and to this day the majority of her family lives in Europe. Her passion for travel still thrives to this day, a devotion she shares with her husband.
“Sam [my husband] and I always want to learn about different cultures and see history alive. We’ve gone to Cairo to see the pyramids before. To me seeing historical sites and experiencing the local culture, the whole trip to Machu Picchu was wonderful. There was not a day I didn’t enjoy,” Slough reflected.
Slough doesn’t see her love for travel going away and has already planned her next trip abroad.
“Next summer we are going to Portugal. We also want to go to Patagonia and New Zealand, and of course we love the National Parks and things like that in the States,” Slough said.
Adventure awaits everyone, all one must do is open the door, step out of their comfort zone and experience all the new life changes that come along with it. Slough is no stranger to that and cannot wait for her new journeys to begin.
