Everything happens for a reason.
There are only 8 days left for me in Colombia. It’s hard to believe that time here passed faster than anywhere else.
There are many things that I’ve learned in last days but if I could sum up it with one major learning it would be that everything in your life happens for a reason. You might take time to understand it, but trust me you will.
Going to Latin America was my dream since I remember. Actually, since I saw Dirty Dancing when I was like 15 (don’t ask me why I just thought that people in Latin America might dance pretty well :P). When I’ve started to work and got friends from countries like Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, or Peru I knew that somehow Latin America can be my second home, that it’s a place for me to be, at least for a little while in my life. I admired their energy, free spirit, care for their countries, positive attitude and yes, dancing skills as well 😛
I was searching for opportunities to visit this part of the world, to be able to check if I really belong there. It was harder than I expected, but the opportunity came. An organisation that I was working for supposed to host the biggest annual Congress in Cartagena, Colombia. When I’ve heard that, I knew that one of my biggest dreams will finally come true and I will be able to visit this country with a bunch of my closest friends.
Unfortunately, I got a huge wake-up call when I got to know that unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend this conference, that from 22 people I am one of 6 not going to Colombia. As I have a bit of temper my disappointment and frustration were never-ending.
Watching pictures from this congress and seeing all of my friends there was like the biggest nightmare. I’ve created for myself environment of anger, complain and constant sadness. Like I was grieving because I am not there. I let my emotions own me, instead of owning them and trying to learn something from the whole situation.
Thankfully, learnings came.
I came to Colombia two weeks ago. I spend some time in Bogota, went to Cartagena, Santa Marta and then came back to Cartagena. Actually now I am on my way to Bogota, as I will be participating in Global Teach for All Conference representing my future baby — Teach for Poland.
So what I’ve realized…
I’ve realized that if I would go to Colombia in July my experience here now would be looking completely different, or actually, I would just go to a conference and come back to Poland. I made a choice of traveling and exploring this country only because I didn’t have that opportunity before.
I’ve realized that if I would go to Colombia in July I wouldn’t go to Cartagena as our conference was happening there. Cartagena became for me essential part of this experience, I call it the city of lost souls. I came here being a bit lost with what I want to do next but I made a decision about staying in Poland and fully dedicating myself to improving my country through education. Trust me, it wasn’t easy… every day in Cartagena made me feel like I want to stay there.
I’ve realized that if I would go to Colombia in July I would not meet some people that I met only because I was traveling alone. I really believe that some people are coming to your life for a reason. They might challenge you, break you.. or love you. There appear to bring something to your life, teach you a lesson, maybe show you how incredible individual you are, or that no matter where we are coming from people desire the same safety, happiness and love.
I was lucky enough to meet few of them along with my way and learn that:
- You attract love for which you are ready for!
I was going through some hard times trying to understand why I am not able to find “the only one”, putting a lot of blame on my lifestyle, fact that I am traveling a lot. I was adding points to list of defects of my looks and personality just to justify fact that I am single. I was starting some meaningless relations just for a sake of having someone in my life. While actually being single was something that I needed, I was ready for. In last two weeks I understood that you can’t rush love, it will come to you in a moment that you expect the least, in the moment when you will be ready. - World needs more women who travel solo!
I met so many incredible women who made the decision to travel solo. They’ve shared with me so many stories. Stories of their daily struggle when they are traveling alone, of fear that something might happen to them, of happiness when they are sharing a moment just with a sunset.
There are many differences between stories of those women, but one factor connects many of those stories — they, or actually we decided to travel alone to discover ourselves, to become stronger. World needs more women like that — strong enough to be alone if needed, vulnerable enough to share their lives with others. - You can feel happy and sad at the same time.
This is how I felt when I was leaving Cartagena a few hours ago. Happy as I feel like I’ve got so much more than I expected from days that I spend in this city. Sad.. as I need to leave what I’ve experienced there behind me. I know that feeling like that is just fine, and I want to embrace that feeling.
I’ve realized that if I would go to Colombia in July I wouldn’t be the person that I am today. I wouldn’t be rich in all memories, feeling so strong as women, so confident with who I am, the way I look, the dreams I choose to follow.
I’ve realized that simply it was meant for me to be in Colombia now, exactly in this moment, in those places, with or without people.
I’ve realized that everything happens for a reason and we need to be patient, give ourselves time to discover this reason. I am lucky, I found mine.
If you feel like something happened to you and you are still searching for a meaning of it, take a deep breath and wait.
I am telling you — you will understand it sooner than you expect and you will be grateful for what life has to offer to you. A place that you are in, people that you are surrounded by, decisions that you or someone else made have so much meaning.
So wait, you will find this meaning… and in the meanwhile, be happy as you are alive.
—
Nabrda
