I hadn’t seen Kez since Peru, since that last moment of crying goodbye on his shoulder at Samadhi, when I was convinced our magical Warrior Retreat alliance, our Snoop & Martha comedy duo, would go the same way every prior summer camp or travel connection ever had: love ya’, stay in touch, buh-bye.

But it hadn’t. 

Kez had truly turned out to be “my rock” as promised. He and I were still in almost daily contact. He’d been my text support since landing in Charleston but I also knew he was handling big stuff back home, post-Peru purging. Our journeys mirrored one another - cleaning up logistical messes, wrapping up old storylines, releasing safety nets. The exhumation of our pasts. Digging up the roots and yanking them out. Hands dirty. Sweaty work. Ayahuasca integration.