Tag Archives: freedom

You Are The Entire Universe

Sometimes inner peace is about relaxing, smoothing over rough edges, smiling and simply breathing.  Other times, when we are dealing with turbulent forces inside and outside of us, we are forced to really embrace our infinite nature.

We may experience thunder storms and volcanoes inside of us, which can be overwhelming, or act as a reminder to grow.  Sometimes the battles we are facing seem so big that only in becoming bigger that a galaxy of stars do we feel able to cope.  Only then are we able to see the beauty of the mountains we have conquered.

View from Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal

When you are the entire universe there is no need to fight against the wild forces that exist within you.  You can appreciate the fire, the lightning and rough seas, just as much as you can appreciate the beautiful sunny days when your mind is crystal clear.

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Dissolving into a blissful state of peace is easy when conditions are gentle, but when we are facing challenges (whether these come from within or without) we get the opportunity to feel our power.  When we remember that we have the ability to expand beyond whatever emotion or turmoil we are facing, no matter how huge it seems, we no longer feel the need to try to deny, diminish or fight against it.

The fire inside us that we were previously trying to extinguish for fear it would destroy us, becomes pure magic.  We no longer feel that we are drowning in our emotions.  We can swim through them, enjoying their depth and vastness.

Tranquillity may not seem possible in the midst of extreme conditions, but if we can visualise the trials we are facing to be powerful forces of nature, peace can be found in visualising ourselves to be the infinite space of a universe full of stars which allows everything within to exist without restraint.

When we no longer feel the need to restrict any part of ourselves or others due to fear, we can experience a beautiful freedom which grows with us.  The more we can expand into our infinite selves, the more joy we can find, even in our struggles.

When you are the entire universe, how can you not see the beauty of the explosions inside of you?  They are no threat to your existence, and the drama only enhances your magnificence.  So don’t be afraid next time a storm comes, it’s just showing you who you really are!

It is my wish that this post helps you find a little more acceptance for difficult emotions or experiences you may face, and is not intended to be taken too seriously.  Never be afraid to seek out professional help if you need it.  Therapy is an incredibly empowering process which I would recommend 100% from my personal experience.  Your journey is unique, and doing what feels right for YOU without fear of judgement is the best advice I can give.  Feel free to leave me a comment below to say hello 🙂

 

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The Spirit Of Adventure

I am an adventurer at heart, and probably always will be.  I’m writing this post because for a really long time I’ve had an internal battle of ‘home’ vs ‘wanderlust’ going on, and it’s been driving me a bit crazy.  I’ve felt like I should ‘grow up’ and ‘settle down’, do the sensible thing, prioritize safety and comfort, and stay close to the people who already know and love me.

Doing this has been great for a while, and 100% what I have needed.  But home isn’t just a place, it’s a state of mind.  One that I only seem to be able to access when I am being true to myself and my desires.  When I think about what I want long term, the only thing I can feel genuinely inspired by is a life of adventure.

Flying high over the desert in Peru.

Flying high over the desert in Peru.

I love that feeling of home, familiar faces and places, and the warm glow that surrounds me.  But when I deny my need for adventure, I cut myself off from this connection with the world around me.  Ironically, forcing myself to stay home for too long can be the very thing that prevents me from feeling ‘at home’.

Flowers in the garden on a sunny day - that beautiful feeling of home.

Flowers in the garden on a sunny day – that beautiful feeling of home.

It makes me feel sad sometimes that I’m not motivated by the same things as most of the people around me.  I actually find the hard work, persistence and determination of friends that have saved enough money to buy a house, or weathered the tough times in long term employment in order to raise a family, incredibly inspiring.  I know that they must really want it.

People that follow an unconventional path often project their own feelings onto those that choose to find peace and contentment in a more ‘ordinary’ life.  Obviously there are exceptions, and there certainly are people that are dissatisfied with their boring job, partner and/or miserable existence.  But that’s not what I see.  For the most part, I see people that go through ups and downs, but are committed to their future, and get enough joy from their day to day lives to know that it’s worth it.

Adventure for most people is a fun interlude during an otherwise comfortable life.  I know people that come home from an action packed holiday and are actually glad to get back to their normal routine and familiar surroundings.  They have amazing memories of the experience, they may learn and grow from it, and it will enrich their lives.  This is awesome.  But it is not me.

Amazon jungle adventures

Amazon jungle adventures

I need more.  I want longer adventures.  I need to go deeper in the jungle.  I’m no Ranulph Fiennes, but I am intent on pushing my own boundaries further than I can even imagine right now.  This doesn’t mean I’m going to take crazy risks (I’m actually incredibly safety conscious these days!), but it does mean I will chase my crazy dreams.

I often wish my dreams were more aligned with those of my friends and family… a beautiful house in the countryside, some happy children, fabulous holidays, or a creative project that fits nicely into life at home in the UK.  But what I really want is to belong, and I only feel this sense of belonging when I am following my own dreams, not someone else’s.

I first knew adventure was more to me than just the occasional holiday or adventurous hobby when, nearing the end of a 5 month long trip around South America, I imagined not having to go home.  I glimpsed a freedom greater than anything I had ever dared to dream of.

A condor soaring through the vast Colca Canyon, Peru.

A condor soaring through the vast Colca Canyon, Peru.

Many years, and many adventures later, the call towards freedom had become stronger than ever.  Every time I experienced the wild beauty of life, I knew this was where I belonged.  Not in any one particular place, but in that place within me that was unconstrained, limitless and free.

Halong Bay, Vietnam

Halong Bay, Vietnam

My passion for exploration and adventure is so all-consuming that when I am not adventuring (which has been too often during the last couple of years), the weirdest things give me wanderlust.  I was in a cafe a few weeks ago with a friend, and the smelly toilet actually made me yearn to be far from home in a warm country with inferior plumbing, where all the toilets smell like that.

That was a turning point for me.  I knew I needed to take action.  I am now pouring my overwhelming passion for adventure into planning and saving for a looonnnng trip to Costa Rica this winter.  For the last couple of years I have been channeling my adventurous spirit into my businesses and creative projects, which I hope to continue overseas.

The main challenge has been developing the confidence to rely on myself to earn money, and to ride out the highs and lows.  It’s still a challenge every single day, but it’s getting easier.  I have a little adventurousness left over now, so it’s time to wander again… to Costa Rica and beyond!

What does the spirit of adventure mean to you?  Is your wanderlust in balance with your life, satisfied by regular adventures?  Or is it raging out of control, to the point where even eating at a Chinese, Indian, Italian etc. restaurant brings you close to tears with the overwhelming desire to BE THERE?!  Leave me a comment with your thoughts 

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How To Create Your Own Heaven

Developing the inner landscape of my imagination has been, and continues to be, the number one thing that helps me to overcome challenges and grow in everything that I do.

Whether you’re bursting with dreams and desires yet to be fulfilled, or are happy to take each day as it comes and rarely think of the future, you can use the power of your imagination to bring more joy into your life now.

flowers

 

I do not claim to be an expert on the inner workings of the mind, but I do have a LOT of experience with bringing myself from an uninspired, tired or agitated state, into one of peace, clarity and creativity.

It can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking too logically when it comes to making dreams a reality.  I talk myself out of things on a daily basis because I try to predict the future, and plan an exact sequence of action.  When I’m able to let go of the outcome, everything flows so much more smoothly.

Nepal

Nepal

Step 1: Discovering inspiration

It’s important during this step to understand that inspiration isn’t just something for artists and inventors.  Finding the things that light us up is crucial in providing motivation for reaching our goals in life, as well as bringing us joy and an abundance of energy.

The view from Poon Hill in the Himalayas at sunrise.

The view from Poon Hill in the Himalayas at sunrise.

If you have visions that seem totally unrealistic, all the better.  Imagining flying during my yoga practice led to some of the freest movement and floatiest handstands I’ve ever experienced.  Visualizing myself as a magical being with an ability to create enchanting music has allowed melodies to pour out of me when I’m playing my guitar and singing, even though I’m not an experienced musician.

You may already know what inspires you, or you may need to work on finding out.  When I first started making jewellery I knew I liked doing it, and was mainly trying to re-create things I’d seen on my travels.  I later realised it was the peace, beauty and freedom of expression the bohemian jewellery represented, that I resonated with.  That led me to find my own unique style, and start making my dreams a reality.

One of a kind black onyx macrame necklace from my Etsy shop.

One of a kind black onyx macrame necklace from my Etsy shop.

Pinterest can be a great place to start your search for inspiration.  By collecting images that inspire you, your visions evolve, and you can revisit them whenever you need to.  Look at images that you love and figure out what it is about them that you love.  What emotions do they stir in you?

Think about things that have brought you joy in the past, and things that you find yourself daydreaming about doing, having and being in the future.  What feelings do these evoke?

Step 2: Finding your unifying theme

This may be a word, a collection of words, a grand vision, or a feeling, that links everything together.  I struggled for so long because I had no idea where to focus my energy.  I had so many different dreams and goals, and felt completely overwhelmed when I thought about how to attain them.  (I attempted to put this into words in one of my earlier blog posts ‘Living Your Passion’.)  I still have all these dreams and goals, plus new ones now, but I feel much calmer and happier on a day to day basis.

Initially, I was unable to see how my passions for travel, music, making jewellery, yoga and massage were related.  It seemed completely infeasible to pursue them all, and I felt I had to pick one.  Now I can see the underlying feelings that inspire my interests are very similar.  Peace and freedom are words that come close to representing my unifying theme.

Beach on Sentosa island, Singapore.

Beach on Sentosa island, Singapore.

Visualize yourself doing all the things you love, or that inspire you, in your own version of heaven.  What overall quality does it have?  Try to describe it in words, images or whatever comes most naturally to you.  This should help you to see the whole picture of how your dreams and goals could work together, rather than being in competition with each other.

Desert in Peru.  I felt my freest during the time I was away travelling in South America :)

Desert in Peru. I felt my freest during the time I was away travelling in South America.

Travel plays a big part in my vision, but it is the feeling of freedom and expansiveness I feel when travelling that appeals to me.  For others it may be a fascination with different lifestyles and cultures.  There is no ‘right’ answer, since our motivation is a personal thing.

If you dream of wealth and luxury, as many people do, why is it these things inspire you?  Is it the feeling of safety and comfort that wealth can bring?  Or would you enjoy the freedom, the confidence, and just the feeling of general awesomeness?!

Step 3: Creating your heaven’

Once you’ve got some kind of overall vision which represents your passions and sources of inspiration, you can start to move into that reality.  It doesn’t matter if it’s not clear yet, or if there are still some bits which don’t seem to fit together.  It’s a lifelong process and your visions will grow with you.

I feel a great sense of peace and inspiration when I visit beautiful temples and other grand monuments.  This is one of the temples we visited at Ayutthaya, Thailand.

A vision of heaven:  Ayutthaya, Thailand.

The secret to getting this step right is to let go of the final outcome and live your dreams NOW.  There is absolutely no point in putting all your energy into achieving goals in the future if doing so makes you unhappy in the now.  But, on the other hand, there is immense value in fulfilling your dreams, so ignoring them isn’t the optimum thing to do either.

But with such grand dreams, how do you begin to live those now??

This is where your unifying theme or vision comes in, or at least the feeling behind it.  There may be no practical way to be travelling the world indefinitely right now, or to become a millionaire overnight, but there are certainly many ways to give yourself the feelings that motivate these dreams.

Simply spending time in a park or a beautiful garden, immersed in nature, brings me a great sense of peace.

Simply spending time in a park or a beautiful garden, immersed in nature, brings me a great sense of peace.

If, like me, freedom is very important to you, try to find ways to bring more freedom to your day to day life.  For me, this looked like starting my own business, allowing me to decide how I spend my time.  For you it may be booking a trip, or opening a savings account.

A piece of my freedom:  starting my own business doing what I love.  My Etsy shop.

A piece of my freedom: starting my own business doing what I love, my Etsy shop.

It’s not about what you do, it’s about how it makes you feel.  Prioritize your core desires.  If you want to be filthy rich because it would make you feel awesome, special and amazing, do everything within your power to feel awesome, special and amazing NOW!  Take pride in your appearance, constantly remind yourself of your skills and positive qualities, and expect the best from yourself and others.

If you crave comfort and luxury but are flat broke, prioritize self care.  Enjoy taking long luxurious baths, learn some self-massage techniques, or take extra care to make your living space feel heavenly.

Summary

Prioritizing how you feel NOW doesn’t mean giving up on your goals.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  When you get into the zone of feeling good NOW, you’ll find it much easier to work towards achieving the things you desire for your future.

In my opinion, dreams are to be lived.  If you use your dreams as an indication of what to bring more of into your life NOW, you can begin to enjoy them immediately!

Walking around Warmley Forest Park near home (Bristol, UK) is a great way to re-connect with my inner peace.

Walking around Warmley Forest Park near home (Bristol, UK) is a great way to re-connect with my inner peace.

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From Heavenly Heights To Troglodyte Life in Cappadocia, Turkey

Suspended high in the air over the ‘fairy chimney’ rock formations and magnificent valleys of Cappadocia, everything was still.  The soft light of sunrise sprinkled its magic across the land, and we stood in the basket of the hot air balloon, packed in like sardines, in silent awe.  It was my first hot air balloon ride, and although I’d been paragliding before, and taken more flights than I care to remember, the splendour of rising up into the sky in this way was truly unique.

Cappadocia, Turkey

 

It was every bit as glorious as I’d imagined it would be, with an added element of fear that I’d not expected.  Our pilot skillfully guided the balloon perilously close to the weird and wonderful rocky peaks, skimming the basket past them with what felt like just millimeters to spare.  The landing site was interesting too, a tiny flat grassy area surrounded by sloping terrain and rocks.  We all breathed a sigh of relief when we touched down safely.

The relief was short lived though, as we began to float up into the air again without our pilot who had already hopped over the side of the basket!  I was ready to jump out, but quickly realized we were securely tethered and breathed a second sigh of relief.  Once we’d actually landed I stamped my feet on the earth a few times just to make sure!

Rose Valley

Rose Valley

With my new found appreciation for the ground beneath my feet, I enjoyed a long trek through the valley, keen to explore the territory in greater detail.  I set off with plenty of water, legs full of energy and a heart full of excitement.  I wanted to find the most impressive collection of fairy chimneys, but instead of checking a guide book I confidently marched off down a track which seemed to go in the right general direction.

I ended up, several hours later, exhausted, lost and very hot.  I’d run out of water and had shoes full of thorns, but I felt so happy!  I had no idea how I was going to find my way back, but I knew that I would.  My calmness amazed me.  I put it down to the silence of the valley and the steadiness of the pale golden rocks that seemed to watch over me.

The next day I stumbled upon the particular collection of fairy chimneys I’d been searching for, having absolutely no idea how I’d managed to miss them!

Fairy Chimneys, Cappadocia

 

Despite there being quite a few other people wandering around, taking photos and soaking up the scenery, it felt eerily quiet.  There were plenty of times when I found myself completely alone amidst the staggering rock formations.  It was like being in a Bond movie, but instead of an enemy stepping out from behind a pillar to shoot me with a gun, it was a tourist with a camera!

I’d come from the sprawling mega-city of Istanbul to the sleepy town of Goreme in Cappadocia, and it had taken me a little while to adjust to the change of pace.  I thought back to the day I’d arrived there and had hiked up out of town to a viewpoint to watch the sunset with some fellow travellers who’d been on the road for a really long time.

Goreme, Cappadocia

 

My companions were so relaxed and content, quietly absorbing the last few rays of warm light as the sun slowly disappeared behind the horizon.  I smiled to myself at the memory, realizing I was now in that same mode, inevitably harmonized by my immersion in this wonderful landscape.

Goreme, Cappadocia

 

Even in the town it was impossible to feel disconnected from the land, as many of the buildings are carved into the rock.   The guest house I stayed in was a ‘cave’ house.  It was more basic than some of the ‘cave hotels’ you might see pictures of, but you still got the full troglodyte experience!  I got a great night’s sleep there every night due to the silence and dark offered by my cave room, and it even had a pool to lounge by, for when I eventually emerged into the light.

I don’t think I could take to the cave life on a permanent basis, although it does have a certain appeal…

Cave house, Goreme

 

… But my time in the fairyland of Cappadocia certainly left me recharged, relaxed and ready for my next Turkish adventure!

Thank you for reading.  I would love to hear about your experiences of Cappadocia, or any other fantastic natural wonders of this world.  Or just leave me a comment to say hello, it’s wonderful to meet fellow travel/nature lovers.

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I Keep Coming Back To Peace

Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with all the things I want to do, all the places I want to see, all the things I want to say.  I live such a jumbled life with so many points of focus, and often I wonder what it would be like if I made one of them my priority.  But when I think of the things I love individually they seem hollow and unsatisfying.

It’s not travel that I love.  It’s the feeling of freedom and endless possibilities, of endless exploration, beauty and wonder.  It’s not jewellery that I love.  It’s the feeling of inspiration that looking at, imagining, creating and sharing beautiful things gives me.  It’s not being a massage therapist that I love.  It’s the joy of bringing a little more ease, relaxation and happiness to someone else.  It’s the undoing of tension and restoring of balance.  It’s peace.  It’s all about peace.

rainbow moonstone

Rainbow Moonstone

When I write, when I sing, when I do yoga.  All of these things are connected by my need to immerse myself in peace and share it with others

I often get caught up dreaming of a far away land.  I haven’t mastered the art of teleportation yet, so it usually leads to frustration.  I want to create a sustainable lifestyle for myself, doing what I enjoy.  If I didn’t it would be easy to save money doing temporary work, counting down the days, to go wherever I wanted to go.  But it would be temporary, and temporary isn’t enough for me.  Temporary does not bring me peace now or in the future.  Wishing time away, waiting to be happy, and then when the time arrives knowing that it can’t last.

I often get caught up dreaming about having a hugely popular website which would enable me to earn money while travelling the world.  Then my temporary dream would be permanent.  This new dream also leads to frustration though.  I see how much work it would take to get to that stage and imagine how long it would take me.  I have to do what I love NOW.

This brings me back to peace. 

The one theme in my life that unifies everything I am passionate about.  When peace is my focus I can do whatever I am doing and it feels good.  I can write about somewhere I’ve been and be transported back there, feeling more alive and joyful than words can describe.  I see all of the beauty where I am now and feel less desire to escape.  Possibilities open up as a result of this, pieces of the puzzle begin to fit into place, things flow more smoothly and I find myself a step closer to achieving all the things I want, even though I no longer desperately need them.

It’s not really the what, it’s the why.  I still end up doing all the same things, but everything becomes so much more fulfilling.  When I let go of fixed ideas about what I’m trying to achieve, everything is easier to do.  Life becomes lighter and things get done more quickly.  Putting the things I love into boxes leaves me feeling restricted by the limits I create for myself.  So instead of lots of boxes, or even one big box, I’m using peace as my container.  It’s an infinite space that contains everything I need and more.

I keep coming back to peace, because:

There is no path to peace.  Peace is the path.

Photo: The Himalayas from the air

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Hampi- An Enchanting Indian Wonderland

When I think back to my time in Hampi, in southern India, I get a warm fuzzy feeling inside.  It has so much heart.  Not the kind that knocks you over with its power when you arrive, but more of a gentle glowing that washes over you without you really noticing, until you’re feeling better than you have done for a long time and don’t know why.

Hampi was a world away from the chaotic towns and cities that we’d spent much of our time exploring.  A land of giant boulders and stunning temple ruins, with the most beautiful intricate carvings that tell enchanting stories.  The pace of life was leisurely, the air was hot and dry, and the landscape was barren yet alluring.

 

We were drawn to Hampi by the prospect of climbing the huge granite boulders, although once we were there the combination of the heat and relaxed way of life meant that I did more sitting on boulders, gazing at magnificent sunsets, than climbing on them.  But that didn’t matter in the slightest because my time there was perfect.

 

We had to wait until sunset to climb to avoid the blazing heat of the day.  I made it to the top of a few boulders and then sat, perfectly content, soaking up the warmth radiating from the rock.  The landscape looked less arid in the gentle evening sun.  The rocks took on a pinkish tone and the sparse patches of vegetation stood out against them, a deep rich shade of green.

The rest of the time we sheltered from the intensity of the sun in laid back restaurants with low tables and cushions on the floor, or wandered around the majestic temples.  Indian tourists outnumbered the foreigners, although there were plenty of both visiting the temples that had been built hundreds of years ago from the rock that surrounded us.  It was easy to find quiet spots to admire the architecture amongst the sprawling temple complex though.

 

We rented mopeds to navigate the local area and found ourselves at a nearby lake.  It was just us, the lake and the boulders.  The water was cool and refreshing, and it was amazing and slightly eerie to have the whole area to ourselves.  Other days we explored the ruins in the surrounding area on foot, walking far enough away from the town that our only companions were the goats that grazed on the land.

 

Hampi was the perfect mix of leisure and activity.  By the time we left I felt completely rejuvenated and ready to rejoin the mayhem of travelling through extraordinary India.

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Living your passion

I could tell you that I am so inspired and enchanted by the magic of life all the time that I can’t help but share my experiences and create beautiful things.  But that would be a gigantic big lie. There is some truth in it, on good days.  The bit I’ve left out is pretty crucial to the story though.

Sometimes I am so full of self doubt and negativity that it literally paralyses me.  If you ever suffer from this kind of lack of confidence then you’ll know that focussing on trying to improve whatever it is you’re unhappy with while in this fearful state can be counterproductive.  You just end up finding further problems and reasons why you can’t succeed.  There are lots of things you can do to change your mindset and appreciate your successes instead, but it may be that remembering what you’re passionate about is enough to make the shift from feeling stuck and hopeless to being inspired and empowered.

I’ll use my personal experience as an example to illustrate the power of this.  I had hit a bit of a brick wall with the marketing side of my handmade jewellery business.  My brain had given up doing its job and my thoughts were scattered and increasingly negative.  This has happened to me enough times to know not to continue down that road.  I tried to follow my own advice and made a conscious effort to remember what I was passionate about.

Sometimes you have to be really honest with yourself when your heart isn’t in what you’re doing.  The reason my brain wasn’t co-operating was because I was trying to deny a major part of the motivation behind my work.

Being self employed isn't all rainbows... unless you happen to be at Iguacu falls.

Being self employed isn’t all rainbows… unless you happen to be at Iguacu falls.

Travel and freedom have played a central role in my life for a long time.  However, because I’d been so focussed on my business, I’d forgotten why I was doing all of this.  I was thinking about all of the different ways to market my online shop, but I had lost my spark.  I had put travel in a box that didn’t overlap with work, but when I remembered my passion it freed up my thinking again.

Poon Hill in the Himalayas, Nepal.  Our guide didn't carry me all the way up, honest!

Poon Hill in the Himalayas, Nepal.  On top of the world, now that’s freedom!

My handmade jewellery and my creativity are inseparable from my love of exploring the world.  I have many passions that are intertwined, and to work efficiently I need to allow them to be expressed.  I need to live my passion for travel, my passion for freedom and my passion for peace, in order to fuel my passion for creating bohemian jewellery for free spirited dreamers.  I need that lust for life to design jewellery that resonates with the people I create it for.

So that’s now the basis of my marketing strategy.  To be myself, but louder.  To immerse myself in the things that inspire me, connect with like minded people who share my outlook on life, and to share my journey and inspirations with them.  With you.

Living my passion is actually pretty essential to both my productivity and my happiness.  That’s the thing with being a sensitive soul trying to make a living from your creative endeavours – if you stray too far from the things that inspire you then you soon get shut down by the first hint of failure!  You need that burning passion to sustain you through the many, many failures that are necessary for your growth.  If you’re truly following your heart and expressing your authentic self then failure just doesn’t feel like failure any more.  You just keep going.

Macrame gemstone earrings.  You can browse my Etsy shop TessHeaven here.

Macrame gemstone earrings. You can browse my Etsy shop TessHeaven here.

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The Diverse Amazing Landscapes of South America

I’m sure I’ll write about all of these places at a later date, but for now I just wanted to create a quick mainly visual post about the crazy scenery in South America.  We travelled by land across most of the continent, and I think that’s why it made such an impression on me.  We’d go between desert and sea, mountains and jungle in single bus journeys (very long ones admittedly, but the impact was still incredible).  We saw the distinct striking landscapes from the pictures below emerge and fade into one another seamlessly throughout the day.  Or we’d dose off in a barren wilderness and wake up surrounded by snow.  It was truly amazing.

Salar de Uyuni

Salar de Uyuni. The world’s largest salt flat, in Bolivia. Fantastic strangely coloured lakes, giant cacti and volcanoes are some of the other natural wonders of this region.

Angel Falls

Angel Falls, Venezuela. Breathtaking scenery. The whole journey to reach the isolated waterfalls was an adventure by tiny plane and then boat into a forgotten land of table top mountains and jungle.

Colca Canyon

Colca Canyon.  Home to the giant Andean condor.

Iguazu Falls

Iguazu Falls.  These magnificent waterfalls are on the border between Argentina and Brazil. Whenever I see waterfalls I love to imagine being in the wilderness thousands of years ago and stumbling upon them for the first time. They are absolutely vast, and the roar of the water is amazing.

Ushuaia

Ushuaia, Argentina. The southernmost city in the world.

Perito Moreno glacier

Perito Moreno glacier, Argentina. Huge blocks of ice break off the end of this gigantic glacier and crash spectacularly into the water as it melts during the summer months.

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Inspiration

Feeling stuck writing this and that is perfect.  Because that is exactly what this blog is for.  I am breaking through my ‘stuck’ ness by doing what I always do and getting inspired, but this time I am going to document my inspiration so that it doesn’t slip away from me so quickly; then I can share it with you too and we can get inspired together!  Provided you are inspired by stunning scenery, stories of travel and adventure and embracing freedom to explore the diversity of life on this beautiful crazy planet; along with the equally important inner journey from fear and doubt to self-confidence and joy.

Why is inspiration important?

Obviously it’s exciting and enjoyable to look at pictures of exotic places we’ve not yet visited, things we REALLY want to buy/make, and learn about people that are doing amazing things that we aspire to do; but I also believe that in conjunction with appropriate action they can be really useful activities too.

I almost always feel like I have more energy to take action towards my goals when I am feeling inspired.  Sometimes I feel as if there just isn’t a way forward, then in a matter of minutes I will find a solution to whatever the problem was, and all it took was a bit of inspiration.  When I remember WHY I do what I do and I experience the feeling of being inspired, suddenly tasks that seemed arduous and boring become almost enjoyable, and I feel like I can do things I previously believed I couldn’t.  I become more efficient, focussed and committed to the path I have chosen.

So join me in my search for inspiration, and let it propel us towards our destination!

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