Laughing at me!? Maybe you’re the crazy one?

The other day I pulled up to the airport, and my friend asked me what terminal I was headed to. I wasn’t sure. He laughed at me. I laughed at him.

For those who’ve judged or made fun of me for “not planning,” perhaps this little tale will shine a light on why I consciously choose a life that supports me in constantly following my curiosity.

Ten years of research has shown me that what we all really want, is peace of mind. And love :) So what brings about peace and love?

This of course, is a very personal question.

For me, I have learned, it comes down to a few basics — I like to connect with my environment, I like to swim, and I need to create and express myself authentically and deeply. I also need to feel safe. Both in my relationships, and in my body/environment.

If I’m feeling safe, creative, and connected, you can bet that I’m in the kind of flow that sparks what some might consider magical manifestations.

Here’s an example from my current trip to Belize.

I arrived in a town called Caye Caulker a few days ago. I did ZERO research before getting here. I find it fun to do this kind of traveling. I open myself to everything the universe might offer me.

Mind you, when I say I did not research I mean, I responsibly took care of all the sh*t one who travels knows to take care of : I called my bank and CC company. I confirmed my flight. I brought sunscreen and a sleep mask. Oh, I did look up the local language and when I saw English was on the list, that’s when I knew I chose to worry about anything.
So I arrived in Belize City, and took money out of the ATM at the airport. I never exchange money in the USA ( the fee’s are always higher) and no matter how remote I’ve been ( and I have been to some remote places) there has always been an ATM at the airport. I got my cash and was in a taxi to the boat terminal within 5 minutes.

The conversation with my driver was telling. He was polite and kind. We spoke of happiness and peace, and of the local culture. I arrived at the port within a half an hour and bought a ticket to the Island. 40 minutes later I was on a boat to Caye Caulker, and when I arrived and saw the slogan, I started to cry. “ SLOW DOWN ” is the slogan of this little Caribbean Island.

Of everything I have been talking about this past year, slowing down has been my #1 theme. Somehow, I end up on a little Island whose whole vibe is all about slowing down. Beautiful.

My second day here, sitting at my beach front office, I got inspired to design my newest tattoo. I thought about what message I want in it? All of my art has messages in it, and after a few moments I was clear : Choose it.

So I drew it. On its second iteration, I knew I had my design.

Now I just needed to find my artist. Each tattoo I have ( 6 total at this point) has been added to my skin by a special artist. A few from a LA, one from Vancouver; this has become a bit of a personal tradition : add some ink when I feel inspired, and when I find the right message and artist.

So I looked around me to find a person with beautiful body art. Within a moment, I saw a beautiful Rastafarian man. He told me that the best guy is called “Wimpas” and he lives on another Island. “How would I find him” I asked, to which my new friend replied, “ Go there and ask for him. Everyone knows him.”

OK.

I went to the boat and got a ticket for the next boat to San Pedro — an island about 45 minutes away. I knew nothing about this Island, except for the fact that my boat docked at 3PM, and the last boat of the night left at 4:30PM.

So I had 1.5 hours to find a man named Wimpas on an Island of ( 15–17K people, I learned while on Sen Pedro.) I looked at this as a fun adventure and set sail.

The first thing I was present to as our boat docked was how much bigger this island was than the one I was staying at. I could instantly feel the energy of the place, and it was exciting. The first person I asked about a tattoo artist named Wimpas pointed me to an alleyway, which when I walked down, led me to an old and abandoned tattoo parlor.

Onward!

I kept walking and saw another man with some cool ink. I asked him if he knew Wimpas. At first he wasn’t sure, but then as if a lightbulb went off in his head he said, “yea, he’s down there.” He pointed, and I walked.
Within 5 minutes, I was at a tattoo shop. I could hear the buzz of needle from the outside. I felt excited and walked in. A man came to the front and I asked him where I can find Wimpas. He smiled.

How long does it take to find a man on an Island of 17K? About 15 minutes.

I showed Wimpas my design. He loved it and even suggested a cool addition in the form of the Mayan symbol “galactic butterfly.” In that moment, I smiled so wide because I knew that this was my guy. The book I have been writing for a decade is called Chrysalis, and I had come to Belize because I was drawn to the Mayan ruins and wisdom. And here it was presenting itself to me. So of course, I received it and said yes.

As we were chatting, a friend of Wimpas’ came by the shop. I introduced myself and handed each of them an inspiration campaign reminder card. They were both so moved. I was too.

I’ll be going back to see Wimpas right before I fly back to California on Saturday morning. He was kind enough to offer to open his shop early, so that I can catch a boat back to the mainland and get to the airport on time.

As I was walking out, the boys asked me how much time I had before my boat. 45 minutes.

Would I like a tour? Sure.

I was then taken around the whole Island on a Gold Cart and showed the best sunset spot, the coolest local restaurants and bars and even the famous Iguana. I was even offered a place to live in Belize, if I chose to come back, for a rate I won’t share here because you’ll be jealous. But trust me when I say it’s incredibly affordable, and I will take my friend up on the offer.

So what’s the moral/the lesson of the story?

Had I thought too much about this tattoo adventure, I probably would not have gone. What are the chances of finding the one person you’re searching for ( with just a first name) among 17K people? How safe is it to go down alleyways in foreign countries? And get tattoos?

According to my mind this would all be a he** no. But, my heart. My heart…

It said I was safe. Pretty safe indeed.

I do not plan because what happens when I simply open myself up to what IS, in this moment, ALWAYS turns out to be more beautiful. This also doesn’t mean I walk down alleyways that don’t feel safe. In those cases, I listen to myself and turn around. And yet, trusting myself to simply show up, and say yes to exploring my curiosity is providing me with a more rich and abundant experience than anything I could have planned ahead of time.

So cheers to saying yes to this moment and to everything that is working graciously to support us in life.

-Svet