Daily Wake Up Call

In my travels, I have seen trash in numerous places.

I have seen trash around Peru, and plenty of places in the States, but mostly urban areas. 

I think litter and trash comes shocking when it is in a natural and picturesque setting. 

Especially for me.

I'm lucky to have traveled to places where nature is nature, and I seek out places where there is little human presence. 

Yet seeing this beach south of the town of Huanchaco, Peru was heartbreaking and frustrating for me.

First came all my complaints.

"Why do people do this? Don't they know better? How can they just ruin their beautiful beaches? Don't they realize it's polluting the ocean where their food comes from??"

And on and on...

We passed hundreds of dead birds, most likely dead from eating trash, or from the polluted waters, and we passed two dead, wash-up dolphins.

I've seen pictures of all this before. I follow travelers on Instagram who post pictures of trashed-beaches in Southeast Asia, or South America, and they sit there and complain and call the local people ignorant for ruining nature. They themselves become so upset over it, it sparks debate in the comments, and eventually everyone is arguing over something else entirely.

I want to post these, not to spark debate, not to insult local people, not to vent my own frustrations, but just as a daily reminder that we ALL have a obligation to the world and environment we live in. Because the sea, the forest, the mountains are all an integral part of our lives. And it's crucial that we all remember this every single day.

^There were dead birds everywhere. It was like a graveyard.

^A dead, decaying dolphin.

^This was the most shocking. The sign said "La naturaleza es un regalo". That means nature is a gift. Apparently whoever made this sign didn't believe what is said...

Love the planet you're in.

Please.

<3 S