This Life On The Road

I’ve been overwhelmed with anxiety the last few days over the state of our world, and only compassion has helped me feel okay and believe that there is hope. I hope this finds those who need to hear it, and that it gives you some peace and empowerment too. 

Sarah

We've all had those days where it seems everything is going wrong. Sometimes those days turn to weeks, even months. Life has been pretty good for me in most respects, but man, when it comes to my car, I can't seem to catch a break. I won't get into every little thing that has happened, but the major piece is I got in an accident a few weeks back, and the process of getting it fixed has already been extremely stressful. Something I thought would be an easy drop off has turned into a half day ordeal. Needless to say, my stress and frustration levels were through the roof about an hour ago. I got to thinking why this is all affecting me so much, and it all comes back to fear, every time. Today it's fear that I won't have time to get everything done I wanted to do today. Then there's the fear about the cost of all these repairs, and it just spirals from there. I wanted to be rude to everyone who gave me more bad news and I was allowing myself to be stuck in negativity. But here's where it turns around. I remembered that life is nothing but a game, and we get to choose how we want to play it every moment, without attachment to what happens to us. I can play the game by being negative and drowning in self pity, therefore attracting more negativity to me. Or, I can choose to not attach "good" or "bad" labels to the things that happen to me and approach each with a grateful, loving attitude and full trust in the universe to work things out. Sometimes it's hard to make this shift, but looking at life as a game to be played, one that isn't so serious, shifts my whole perception. On top of that, I'm super competitive, so when I view life as a game, I ask myself if I'm winning it or losing it, and act in a way that steers me towards winning. It's definitely a different way to view things but man it has turned my day around and I hope it can help you all as well! Keep the faith and stay positive, life is just a game. Are you winning?

It's no secret that Michael Jordan has a crazy success story. He didn't make his high school basketball team, yet went on to be, well, Michael Jordan. Today I auditioned for American idol. I wasn't going to air that, but I decided I have no shame about it. I felt like I killed the audition, but I was told while I have a beautifully unique voice, it's not technically trained enough for the show. Never mind that I've had years of voice lessons, but that's neither here nor there. I didn't have the commercial sound they were looking for. First of all, that's a pretty amazing way to be rejected, because it confirmed something I already knew, my path won't be a traditional one. I'm blazing my own trail, I have a vocal style that has yet to be compared to anything already in existence. I want to be the first Sarah Vitort, not the gazillionth American Idol with a flop career. This was my first big rejection, and I'm grateful for it. It means I have a lot of work to do, but that I'm on the right path. Success stories aren't made from pure raw talent. That helps, but it's so much more about hard work and passionate energy, and a clear vision like I outlined in my last post. I won't give up on this dream that easily, though I would have a few years ago in the same circumstance. I won't give up on this dream at all. I have work to do on this earth and I know it starts with my music. And I don't want to follow the path that already exists because it doesn't feel like it works all that well. I don't know that I want my success defined by a reality show that isn't even that real. Not to dog on AI or the people that make it far in that show. It's great entertainment and the contestants are truly out of this world talented. That's just not me. I don't sound like Whitney Houston or Mariah Carey and that's fine with me. That's the type of voice that show is designed for. But mine is unique, like they said, and I'm planning on using that to my advantage. So I didn't nail my first audition. And I'll probably "fail" again, and then again. But it's not really failure unless you give up, and there will be no giving up from me. This is more than a vain dream of fame for me, this is my purpose and passion incarnated, and I can not fail.

So many people don't know what it means to follow their dreams anymore. If I'm being totally honest with you, I didn't know what it meant compared to what I know today. I've had ideas of what to do with my life multiple times over the course of my lifetime, but none ever felt like the kind of dream you drop everything for and stick to no matter what. I thought that meant I lacked willpower or the ability to follow through. On only rare occasions did I finish what I started. But the only thing I was missing was my vision. Turns out, once I had a clear vision, my path has changed in ways I couldn't have fathomed even a year ago. The girl who "had no willpower" is giving up her once precious social life, a stable big girl job, even traveling aspirations to pursue the dream of becoming a famous musician. For the first time in my life, my purpose feels so clear and my direction feels so right that giving up is no longer even part of my vocabulary. What I'm learning about vision, too, is this: most people probably won't see it. At the moment, it's a figment of my imagination. After all, it is my vision, not anyone else's. In the short couple months I've been throwing everything I have into this dream, I have been told countless horror stories about the music industry and all sorts of discouraging tidbits about how hard it is and how talent is a dime a dozen in places like Nashville and LA. They speak from their experience, or stories they've heard. BUT THATS NOT MY STORY. It's completely irrelevant to me actually because I'm a unique person with a life path that can only be lived by me. Those stories won't become mine unless I believe they will. That's what vision is all about, seeing something that doesn't exist now and making it a reality through co-creation with God/the universe. It's seeing something clearly even when no one else does, especially when no one else does. My end game is clear as day in my mind. I don't have a single doubt that I'll get exactly what I want, and probably more that I couldn't even dream of now. So what is my vision, now that I've got you all hyped up? It's not just about becoming rich and famous, although I do want those things very much and are the gateway to the rest of my vision. It's also not a generic "make the world a better place" vision, not that that's bad it's just too general and means nothing in and of itself. I want my music career to be a springboard for bringing more empowerment and spirituality into the world. I want to produce music that has the right energy, that uplifts and inspires, that makes people more comfortable with exploring their own passions. I want to set an example for the law of attraction and inspired, intentioned living, to prove that you can have anything you want if you want it enough and you learn to co create with God. I want to speak, write books, lead retreats teaching people to live better by reaching for their own dreams. I'm prepared for the backlash this dream will surely drum up. That spirituality doesn't belong in the secular world of music, that making it without selling your soul is impossible, that a famous singer can't be a motivational speaker too. Or even just "it sounds nice but do you really think it's going to happen? It's kind of idealistic." Yes, haters, I really do believe it, and I love you more for challenging me on it because it'll help me prove to myself over and over that I will never waver or doubt. This life is mine for the taking and I'm grabbing it by the horns. Bring. It. On. If you have a vision, let this be an inspiration. Get specific about what you want and don't worry too much about the how, what seems impossible to the human eye is child's play in God's. Believe that the universe is pulling the right strings to bring things your way, cause with faith, that's exactly what's happening. Never give up, never relent. Our time is now.

After almost 7 and a half months of traveling, I am home. I was told countless times before I left that this experience would be the most transformative of my life to date. That prediction couldn't have proved more true. I arrived in Peru, both excited and terrified, alone, and a bit homesick. Arriving in Colombia, I was partied out and exhausted. When I got to the boat, I was over backpacking, though I missed my friends in Colombia, but not ready for my trip to end. As I look back on it, this journey has been my own version of "Eat Pray Love." Say what you will about the book, it did mesh spirituality and traveling in a way that hadn't been done before and got a lot of people looking at their lives with different eyes. Although my version would probably be called "Party Pray Love," but the idea is the same. In Peru, I was on the pursuit of pleasure. I partied, boy did I party. I bartended and flirted my way through that country if we are being honest. I indulged in food I wasn't supposed to eat, drank wayy to many Loki slushies and Pisco sours and got plenty of experience dancing on the bar. Sure I did a lot of traveling around, hiking and sight seeing too, but when I think of Peru I mostly look at it as my party phase, I was just trying to have fun, as Liz was searching for sensory pleasures in Italy in the book. I went to Colombia initially to do a month long intensive yoga program, becoming the "Pray" portion of the trip. Yoga school was just as they described it, intense. I went through some rough but extremely healing realizations and experiences there, and ultimately came out of the month a completely different person. Each person I met there became an integral part of my spiritual journey. After yoga school, I got to visit some beautiful remote areas like Minca and Palomino coupled with good company and deep conversations, a chance to share some of what I'd learned at yoga school. My Colombian experience ended in Salento, where I made amazing friends, lots of music, and participated in an Ayuhuasca ceremony that was almost as life altering as an entire month of yoga. Leaving Colombia, I was most definitely changed in a very spiritual way. Just as Liz combined the spiritual and human aspects of her trip in Bali, I found the best of both worlds in the Bahamas. The shortest leg of the trip proved to be extremely transformative. I was met with a community of people, both locals and other cruisers, who live their lives in an entirely different way than I'd ever seen. Everyone was full of love, willing to help out fellow boaters, and breaking the mold of the 9-5 "real world" lifestyle that I found so confining. In 6 short weeks I made some incredible connections, and I fell deeply in love with boating and with the islands. I lived day by day trying to enjoy and soak up every moment like a true north westerner soaking up the Bahamian sun, furthering my spiritual growth and conquering some pretty big fears. I've always loved the water but been terrified of drowning, yet I became a better swimmer, invented a new board sport called dingboarding (towing a paddleboard behind a dinghy), learned the ins and outs of sailing, learned to snorkel, and caught, cleaned and cooked my first fish spear fishing (a big feat for a former vegan). Most importantly, my time in the Bahamas inspired me to start writing music and performing it live, and 21 songs later I'm ready to make it my life's work. I may not have fallen in love in the relationship sense, but love infused every part of my experience in the Bahamas. I'm still in awe of the kindness of people I encountered on this journey. I now have adoptive parents in Australia, Canada and the Bahamas, I've been given a roof over my head, a job, and food to eat when I was in need, and people were always willing to provide information or a helping hand. I came out of three third world countries unscathed, not a cent stolen, not a moment did I feel in danger. All the fears my friends, family and I had for this trip proved to be unnecessary, though I'm still glad I took all the necessary precautions to avoid them. Every time friends and family would ask about the new place I was in, I'd say it was the best part of my trip, which became a bit of a running joke. But truly, the trip seemed to get better every new place I went. Not because the place or the people were superior to the last, but because my inner peace and happiness improved so much over the course of the trip, making me happier and more able to enjoy each moment as time went on. Like Liz in Eat, Pray, Love, traveling really helped me find myself and show me what I want in life. Our journeys may have differed in many ways but the overall themes are the same. I'm so grateful for the last 7 months and I can't believe it's actually come to an end, but I know I have even more exciting adventures ahead, this is only the beginning of a crazy beautiful adventure I'm proud to call my life.

Today I've hit the 7 month mark of the day I embarked on this trip, with only a few short weeks left to go. Naturally, I've begun to reflect on the last 7 months. More than thinking about the things I've done, however, what's on my mind is defining, or not defining, the person I've become. I can't be defined in some ways anymore. I'm no longer a Public Relations Account Coordinator at Waggener Edstrom. I'm not at the moment a permanent resident of Vancouver, Washington or Portland, Oregon, or anywhere for that matter. I am WSU grad, a Kappa Kappa Gamma, a world traveler, a musician and a yoga enthusiast but I can't be defined by any or all of those things either. Here's what I do know, at this point in my life. I'm a former scaredy cat who's now much less afraid of the world and the unpredictable uncertainty of life. I'm a strong willed, confident woman who is fine on her own and loves her own company while still deeply craving the love and attention of others. I'm a talented singer and songwriter who longs to share a message of universal love and freedom with the world. I'm a hiker, a surfer, a snorkeler, a sailor, a dancer, a runner, a yogi, a raver, a future biker chick, a paddleboarder; someone who's willing to try anything once and would rather have the ability to do a lot of different things than be really really good at one. I love clothes and makeup as much as I love sports, playing in the dirt and wearing backwards flatbacks. I'm a goofball with no shame in my game, nicknames and songs for everything, and a willingness to look weird to others as long as I'm being myself. I'm someone whose charm lies in my quirks and my childlike love and curiosity for life, people and the world we live in. I'm deeply spiritual and I believe in a higher essence, a formless substance that is the basis for all existence, and I try to live my life based on that view. I'm equal parts crazy independent, a shameless flirt, and a believer in true love and soulmates. I sing loud, dance wild, love fully and run free. I'm more than just a name, a label, a collection of stories. I'm an eternal spirit, a being made of pure love, who is experiencing the ups downs and chaotic beauty that is human existence. I embody Kalos Kai Agathos, Greek for the divine balance between the beautiful - the pleasures of humanity - and the good - the spiritual, the higher consciousness that we all have access to whether we realize it at this moment or not. The best part is that this definition, which is already inadequate as words will always fall short in expressing my full truth, is ever changing. Not being defined by one thing allows me to be many things, and those things are constantly in motion, growing, changing, dying out. When I go home I won't be a backpacker or a sailor anymore, but I'll still be me at my core. The outer definition changes, but the inner climate remains the same. It's given a new environment, a new playground to explore, a new world to grow into. Yes I'm a bit anxious about the unknown future, but more than anything I'm excited, I have a clean slate, a chance to reinvent myself again and again just for the enjoyment of it. Traveling has given me that, and what a blessing it's been. Not to learn who I am, but to remember Who I Am, as a being of higher consciousness living in this beautiful, crazy human world just for the pure experience of being alive.

Island Wisdom When I decided to travel, I did so with the intention to learn more about myself and the world and feel a sense of peace and oneness with everything I encounter. I've been lucky to find myself, especially lately, in situations that I feel that. But none more so than here in the islands. Sure, we are all familiar with the most famous islander, Bob Marley, and his outlook on life. "One love" and "every little thing is gonna be alright" are terms we all have come to associate with laid back island life. Thing is, people actually do think that way here. Our first night out in Green Turtle Cay, we met a local guy named Sherlin, (or "Shillin" if you hear him say it, I'm still learning to decipher the thick islander accent) who everyone knows as "50 cent" or "fiddy." He invited us for a game of pool and, after beating the crap out of us, mentioned we should come by the bar he works at for happy hour the next day. Since then, we've seen him everywhere. He's always popping up and the guy is practically a local celebrity here the way he's known and loved by everyone, locals and visitors alike. It's not hard to figure out why, he's extremely friendly and helpful, and he's got an infectious smile and a round-the-clock positive attitude. Last night, he offered to take us to the other end of the island in his golf cart for live music at one of the marinas, so we wouldn't have to take the dinghy all the way there in the dark, expecting absolutely nothing in return. On the way, he picked up a random girl on the side of the road (who he knew of course) and took her home. Turns out that's super common here, there are 200 or so locals on the island so they pretty much all know each other and are constantly helping each other out. People don't lock their doors, in fact, there is apparently a beautiful mansion on the island full of valuables that was deserted two years ago and not a single thing has been taken; I guess you can go check it out and walk around in there, it's totally still intact. They just have no need to take what's not theirs, they live as though they've got everything they need. When I mentioned his popularity, Fiddy just smiled and told me, "we are all love," and that if you act like the love you are, and treat people like the love they are, only good things can come. I mean I've said stuff like that before and believe it whole heartedly, but this guy lives it every second of every day. It's a true inspiration for my life, as that's pretty much my number one goal. Needless to say, I love it here and it know it's the perfect place for me to be right now. I'm finding that savoring the present moment, doing things I love to do, and accepting without resistance the things I don't love but that need to be done is a recipe for true happiness and contentment and I'm so glad to be learning this as I prepare to come home and integrate back into the "real world," which ironically doesn't seem so real or so serious now after all.

Setting Sail I apologize for the hiatus in my writing, since I left Colombia there's been a lot of moving around. I finally made it back to US soil on March 11th and spent a week in Miami with my friend Snir for his birthday. Then on the 16th, I hopped on a 44' sailboat called Lady of the Island, which will be my floating home for the next month. This last week, I got settled in while we hung out in an anchorage in North Palm Beach, waiting for a perfect weather window to cross the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas. I didn't have much to share since all we really did was eat, sleep, run errands and chill for a week. But it didn't take long for me to fall in love with living on a boat, just like I always expected I would. The gentle rocking of the hull makes me sleep like a baby, I wake up to the sunshine, surrounded by water and I end each day with a gorgeous sunset, after which I play and sing for my fellow sailors, Tamar and Grant, until it's time to sleep again. It was truly medicine for the soul, and the real journey hadn't even begun. We picked Saturday morning for our departure, but when we woke up, the weather didn't look so promising after all. Storm clouds were rolling in and it was pretty windy. We figured we'd take the boat out to see the conditions for ourselves before we decided if we'd go all the way across to the Bahamas, an approximate 8 hour sail. After an hour or so on the water with 6 foot swells, 22 knot winds and pelting rain, we decided to turn back and take cover in the anchorage again. The weather was supposed to clear by late in the evening, so we set 11pm for our new departure time. After a long nap and a delicious dinner, we pulled up the anchor and left the Peanut Island inlet for the second time, this time encountering calm waters and clear skies. In order to catch up for lost time, we would have to sail about 16+ hours to get to a safe anchorage for the night. So we set the course and took turns at the helm so we'd all have a chance to sleep. I'll be honest, I was a little nervous about being out on the open water without any land in sight; it's definitely something I've never experienced before. But with a plethora of stars above and calm waters for miles in every direction, I can honestly say it was one of the most peaceful experiences of my life. I've never felt so big and so small at the same time, I could barely sleep at first because I was so in awe, it was as if the immense blackness of the ocean and the endless stretch of sky was swallowing us up and we were all one. I fell asleep around 4am and woke up just before the sun rose, so I got to watch it come up directly ahead of us, as if inviting us to come explore paradise in the glow of its rays. The sunrise shone with every color of the rainbow; it looked like something from the mind of a painter. Once the sun was up, I noticed the clarity of the turquoise water and realized for the first time that we were no longer in North America. As we continued, the water got more and more shallow to the point where we could see directly down to the bottom, even though there was still no land in sight. It occurred to me then that we had found paradise. The turquoise water stretched to the horizon on all sides; it was truly surreal. For the second time that day, I felt completely and utterly filled with joy and peace. When we finally got to our anchorage spot, it was about 4pm and we were all eager to jump in the picture perfect water to cool off from the long day in the sun. Grant, the captain, claimed to have seen a sea creature that looked like an orange Sasquatch, so we joked endlessly about watching out for the Bahamian orange water Sasquatch every chance we got. The water was warm and salty enough to float unaided, which made for a nice little swim. After drying off in the sun to the sound of Jack Johnson, we started cooking dinner and I threw together a rum punch to celebrate our arrival in the Bahamas. We spent the evening enjoying fabulous food, sipping rum punch and $150 scotch (which has to be one of the best drinks I've ever had...the scotch not the rum) and laughing and joking about our many mishaps and adventures throughout the day. The night ended on the bow of the boat, where I softly played my guitar and sang to my crew mates and to the incredible galaxy of stars floating above us. The night was almost eerie as we were surrounded by nothing and no one, with fog blurring the horizon and silence that surrounded and engulfed us. We woke up abruptly at 4 am to the sound of the wind picking up and decided we should get moving in order to reach the next safe harbor in time for a big storm to roll in. Though we saw some lightning in the distance and I was sure we'd be caught in some crazy hurricane or something, we made it safely to Green Turtle Cay where we'll be waiting out the weather for a few days before moving on. The last few days have been exhausting and exhilarating and worth every second. I can't help but feel so lucky; this is something people fantasize about when they are stuck in their office cubicles but most never actually experience. I'm living it. And you bet I'm living every moment to the fullest, wouldn't be worth it any other way!

Being jaded doesnt have to be a bad thing, just a wake up call to allow you to figure out where you are and what you really want to be doing. So I`m thankful for it in a weird way. Ìt`s just where I am right now and that`s beautiful.

As I move forward, I hope to be more conscious of being present. I`ll be spending 9 more days in South America, then after some time sailing in the Bahamas, I`ll be heading home, with pretty much nothing left in my pocket. Which means I`ll need a job, and it`ll be time to rejoin the ¨real world¨ to some extent. When I`m not present, it`s so easy to let that stress me out. To worry about the details: where will I work, where will I live, how much money will I need to survive? But if I stay in the moment, and try not to skip to far ahead, I truly believe life will just happen the way it`s supposed to, when it`s supposed to. The right opportunities will come, but I can`t force them. I just need to be ready and willing to grab ahold of them when they do come. That`s the challenge, and it`s one I`m willing to rise to.

If we are being honest, yoga school cracks me up. When I first got here, I had a first class ticket to the struggle bus. Coming from a three week stint at Wild Rover then New Years in Cartagena, 4 hours of yoga a day plus a nightly lecture felt like being blind and getting bitch slapped. On top of that, I realized that I was one of three students in the course; the other two were a Finnish couple in their 30s, which at the time didn't make my social life look too promising. I'm pretty sure I cried during my second class due to pure frustration, all I could think was what the hell am I doing here and how did I get so off track in my life? Since then, it's gotten both harder and easier. Most of the poses are becoming more natural to me (although I still curse effing padahastasana...not sure why it's so hard for me to bend over for five minutes) and the schedule is becoming second nature. I still get frustrated to tears during long meditations and the aches and pains I've felt in the last three weeks make me feel like I'm 80 sometimes, but I do feel like I'm exactly where I need to be. What I'm most thankful for now though is that Finnish couple I was worried I'd have nothing in common with. Turns out, they are the shit. Helena and I are very similar and we relate to each other with both our strengths and weaknesses. But the best and most important part is that we keep each other human. This school is very etheric, there's lots of talk of energies and cosmic harmony and self realization, half the time I feel like yoga is from another planet. But then class ends and the three of us hang out and realize we all have the same thoughts. We bring each other back from the confusing world of "cosmic and telluric energies" and purification techniques and the law of karma and we just get to be human. Tonight, we just sat around talking about all of these things only the three of us would understand like comparing uddiyana bandi to drowning and focusing on the wrong chakra in meditation and it hits me just how perfectly human we are. I haven't laughed that hard in ages. There are so many things I've done here that I'm so proud of that most people I know will never understand and there are so many things also that or struggled with that again, no normal person would understand. But I have Helena and Acki and we make snorting salt water every morning and staring at a Ping pong ball for 8 minutes straight feel a little less crazy. What is life if you can't see the humor in it? I sure would be a lot less happy if I couldn't laugh at all the weird shit that it throws my way. All in all, yoga school is one of the strangest but most transformative experiences I've been through not just on this trip but in my life. I may not be that different than I was a month ago, although I guess I probably am, but I feel like what in learning here will be a lifetime practice for me and for that I'm eternally grateful. If nothing else, it's a daily reminder that nothing should be taken too seriously, or you might just make yourself crazy.

Colombia: initial impressions Ive been in Colombia over a week now, the first five days celebrating new years in Cartagena and the last week at a farm in Sogamoso where I began yoga school on Monday. A few initial thoughts about Colombia: -The locals are much friendlier than they were in Peru. Everyone told me this before I got here and they were spot on. Multiple times I've had some rando trying to get my attention on the street, which I learned to ignore in Peru, but here they are relentless and every time I finally give in I find they are usually trying to be helpful, it's like they can sense I'm looking for something or need to ask a question. The best part is they are much more patient with the language barrier. Rather than dismissing me or avoiding communication when it's clear I can't speak Spanish, they talk slow and continue to push me to communicate with the little Spanish I have. They never give up. I've had more full conversations (small talk, but still) with Spanish speakers in the last week than I did my entire time in Peru. It's nice not being looked at like you are a brainless alien. -I hadn't realized how used to Peruvian food I'd gotten until I got here. There have been so many things I've just expected to find and been disappointed. No more Sublimes, my favorite chocolate, there aren't a million different kinds of potatoes in the grocery store and the fruit is different (no more pepinas...I'm still wrestling with that truth). Time to get used to a whole new food system! -Being able to cook my own food is life changing. As much as I loved my standard order at Wild Rover, it wasn't always the healthiest. Now I can finally make salads and green smoothies and all sorts of dishes I normally survive on at home but have missed terribly here. My body is thanking me already. Initial impressions aside, I want to share a bit about my experience since I began yoga school. I arrived here last weekend, a few days early, and the first full day went on an 8 hour, 1000m elevation change hike to the Black Lagoon. Two days later, classes began. So far, I love it. The first day was especially hard. I was homesick for some random reason, heavily detoxing from my unhealthy lifestyle in Peru, and reintroducing your body to yoga is always uncomfortable if not downright painful. Each day has gotten easier. My mind has become more focused, my body feels lighter and more flexible, and I'm much more content on a moment to moment basis than I've been in months. I've cut out TV and tried to read instead of Facebook when I have downtime. I'm eating healthier, learning so much, and working for my accommodation which keeps me grounded. I really feel like I'm in the right place at this point in my life. One of the teachers, Leo, I find myself inexplicably drawn too. Not in a physical way, but in a way that I feel like he's the teacher who I will best learn from. He's also a mirror of the kind of person I'd like to be. He has so much childlike enthusiasm for everything he teaches us, and always has this smile on his face like he's got the secret to life and it's incredibly amusing. It's infectious. This experience so far has been night and day different from my three months in Peru. Though there are two other students in the course (the school is still fairly new so class sizes are still tiny) I find myself spending a lot of time alone which is really uncharacteristic of me. But I think the things we are most uncomfortable with are the things we most need to overcome, and I want to learn to enjoy my own company, cause lets be real I'm pretty fun ;) To give you an idea of my life right now, I do two hours of yoga in the morning, work for two hours (which right now consists of redecorating the student dorm, fun!!), 4 hours of free time during which I hike, nap or read, 2 more hours of yoga then a nightly lecture. So much information to take in but it's absolutely fascinating and I'm enamored by it all. I can already feel positive changes and it's only been a week, I can't wait to see who I am at the end of this month!

After reading about a million Facebook posts on what people have accomplished this year and hope to accomplish in 2014, I decided to hop on the bandwagon, just via a less invasive means of technology. Last year when the new year hit, I remember thinking 2013 was going to be my year, the year I finally took a leap into the life I've always longed for. For me, the first step towards that goal was traveling. How's that for a successful New Years resolution? But when I think long and hard about what made 2013 rock for me, it goes much deeper than traveling. The transformation I underwent between 2012 and 2013 is pretty impressive in my book. In 2012 I finally ended a relationship that was bringing me down, which led me to so many opportunities for growth in 2013 that I wouldn't have had had I stayed in that relationship. In 2013 I lived with a variety of different people, finally moved to Portland from Vancouver which was a whole new experience, and really began to excel in my career. But details aside, I had a freaking blast in 2013. I committed to a life worth living and boy did I get it. It came in the form of great friendships, worthwhile relationships and a lot of awesome trips, concerts and general summer fun that ill always look back on as some of the best times of my life to date. Every weekend last summer I had some outrageously fun plan and each weekend I felt satisfied to my core. I had an absolute blast. 2013 has also been a big transformation year for me in that I left what was comfortable for what felt right. After such an incredible summer, leaving felt impossible and yet, it felt like my only real option for continued growth and happiness. Beyond the fact that Portland is a total snooze in the winter, I needed to do something drastically different for me, I had to break out of the routine of "normal" life. When I left, part of me thought I was making a huge mistake, I was so happy where I was and had such a close knit group of friends, why the hell leave? But looking back now I know it was for the best, I left just as everything started to change. My friends are settling down with careers and serious relationships and that's just not me right now. I feel like I would have been horribly unfulfilled if I'd stayed. I don't need to reiterate how challenging but transformative the last three months have been, I did that in my last blog. Instead, I'm ready to look forward to 2014 because something tells me it's going to be even better than 2013. First off, the gorgeous photo above is where I'm ringing in the new year. That alone is a good omen in my eyes. In a high rise overlooking the Caribbean? I'll take that over the gray skies of the northwest without a second thought. Once I leave here, I'll be starting a month long yoga program in central Colombia, which after the wild few months I've had, I couldn't be more ready for. I've learned so much but I have so far to go to become the person I want to be when I leave South America, and I think the next month is going to put those goals on the fast track. That said, I don't really have any specific resolutions this year. My main goal is to just start flowing with life. I've learned that timing is everything and when we set an intention or goal, we have to allow the universe to give us what we want when the timing is truly right. I want to stop overthinking my next steps and just enjoy what's happening now. Having my life all figured out won't solve anything, I need to get comfortable with not knowing. Because life knows what we need better than we do; who are we to say what we need and what we should have? I like to be in control of my circumstances, but I'm hoping to start letting that go this year. Additionally, I want to commit to all the things that are required for one to thrive. Create and sustain deep as loving relationships, find meaningful work, give back to the world through selfless service and be kind to others, find exercise that I not only love but crave, nourish my body with healthy delicious food, practice spirituality using whatever means makes me feel most connected to Spirit, and infuse charisma and childlike joy into everything I do. None of these things are new to me, I simply want to remain committed to bringing them into my everyday life so that I can thrive. So yeah that's kind of it, I feel like I'm better off setting the intention for 2014 to be amazing and seeing what that brings me rather than making a list of resolutions that will be forgotten in a month. And with that out in the world, I'm going to go back to spending the rest of my 2013 in style :)

Tonight, Ill be in a new country with new adventures to be had and new friends to be made and though Im sad Im definitely excited to see what the future holds. Goodbye Peru, its been real, Colombia here I come!