Watch my Journey in 16 seconds! (on tiktok)
It was a hot summer night in June 2020,
After a little too much wine and a lot of thinking about where I wanted to really be as I laid in my bed alone.
It’s in these quiet moments with myself when I make all my best and usually craziest decisions and of course, liquid courage does help a lot.
I had closed my eyes many times and in those moments between being almost asleep but still awake I saw the mountains and not just any mountains. I saw the mountains of my home, the place where I was born. The place where my parents grew up, met, fell in love and made me.
At 29, my first home was calling me. And that very tipsy June night, in complete darkness other than the bright light of my laptop screen I booked a flight to Cali, Colombia.
I had no idea if the borders were going to be opened to travel or not but my ticket was bought and like in usual Gicela fashion I said: “if it’s meant to be I will be on that flight.”
Fast forward to Oct 3rd, and many sleepless nights, waiting for this day to come. I was on my way. I packed enough for a month’s stay, never thinking that maybe, just maybe I would stay.
But here I fell in love with the mountains and the valleys, with the energy that this earth emits. Here I feel connected to God.
As I realized that I wanted to make this a longer adventure I had to think about what that would all look like and getting my co-parenting partner to agree to go on this adventure with me and my daughter.
If covid has done anything positive for us is that it’s taught us that nothing is promised, that we only have today and that it’s in our hands how we decide to live our life because no one is coming to save us.
And so without much convincing a lot of beautiful pictures of my travel, my co-parent saw what I saw. An opportunity to live, to discover, to lead a new life, that was more on our terms than ever before.
Today it is one year since I got on a plane with no clue what this calling was all about, but here is where my soul dances, where I hear my mother tongue and connect with my roots, This is where my skin glows.
I left this home at 8 years old, with my parents and today I am back with my daughter by my side and there is something so full circle about being here, so deja vu, that I can’t put my finger on it. But I know this is exactly where I am supposed to be right now.
Nothing is ever perfect, I don’t always know where I am going, and sometimes I am more lost than before. But I trust, I trust myself, I trust God and for me, that is enough to keep building, keep healing, keep leaping into this life that I don’t have to read in books but actually experience with my eyes, my body and my soul.
So friends, It only takes one decision.
One brave moment of listening to your soul can show you the next right step for you.
Stop waiting to have all the answers. To see the whole path before you begin walking.
Trust your inner guidance system.
It knows more than your logic will ever tell you.
Let yourself be lead by your innermost knowing. It’s ancient, it’s wise and it’s trying to walk you on your highest path forward.
So today I want to celebrate one year of:
Falling and scraping my knees both literally and figuratively (running on new terrain has caused me many falls nothing like the cemented roads of Toronto).
falling in love with my solitude because travelling teaching you to enjoy your own company.
Learning to think quickly and on the spot.
Learning to haggle and get the best prices!
Learning that life will surprise you if you let it.
But most of all learning that in one year your whole life can change.
Where do you want to be one year from now?
Everything is one simple decision away.
Ps. I have no clue where I will be one year from now but I am so excited to see where it will take me!
XO,
Gicela!