Marie ‘Snow’ Ruzette: The Only Question Which Really Matters

Snow, 30, Belgium, is an old soul whose relearning all the important lessons. Her warmth and open spirit are a joy to behold.

Studying abroad in Hungary at 22 changed Snow’s life in many ways, but none more so than how much it opened her eyes to the possibilities of her life.

Choosing a Path

At the end of her bachelor degree, Snow had the choice to continuing studying or forging her own path. With friendly encouragement, she embarked on the second path and began planning a trip to New Zealand. Gratefully, Snow was in the fortunate position to be able to save money each summer by working at her mother’s summer camp. A traveller’s dream job, as she could work hard in the summer and then travel with the rest of her time.

Her first day in New Zealand was an uncovering of self. Snow felt like her soul had shed its heavy cloak of expectation and she could begin the search for who she was. And kiwi life suited her well, with her first adventure involved a hop on and off bus tour across the magnificent country.

Following her Heart

In usual Snow style, she let her heart make the decisions for her and upon arriving in the South Island, a small town caught her attention for one night, and then two, then six and finally she listened to her and stayed for a month. In exchange for accommodation, she volunteered her time and experience. A perfect deal and it felt like coming home.

Life after this trip was hard and Snow struggled to switch back to a mindset of studying. Her experiences have taught her that life is the ultimate teacher not being stuck in a room studying a book. So she switched her focus and began a masters in Journalism. Hoping to tell stories that inspired changed.

However again she realised it wasn’t the job for her. Not knowing what she wanted to do, Snow pursued arts for a while but nothing really fit. But then it was on a last-minute trip to Italy, where Snow met someone who changed the direction of her life.

Magic Meetings

Her name, Gabby, and a 19-year-old model from Hawaii, who had the most beautiful glow about her. What was most inspiring about her for Snow was the fact she’d quit a fashion show and made her way to Florence on a whim. Snow and Gabby developed a deep connection over spirituality and travelled together for the following six days.

The moment which changed Snow the most, however, was witnessing Gabby in ecstasy over eating Magnum’s Chocolate Ice-Cream. Snow realised what she needed to work had nothing to do with her career. What she wanted was to be done with her own unhealthy relationship she had with her body. Returning from Italy, Snow signed herself up for a camp in Vermont, USA to focus on mindful eating.

A two-month-long experience, which ultimately was a huge investment in herself. For a long time, Snow had been focused on the external rather than internal and she worked hard to fall in love with herself, and discover the attributes she did love about her body. The experience changed her completely.

Bringing Snow to the World

Snow fell into a rhythm of working at the camp in Summer and travelling for the rest of the year. Venturing to South East Asia with ideas of beginning a fairtrade clothing company but soon she realised there was much for her still to learn.

Her path continued through Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, leading to her Bali and The Onion Collective — a place she felt instantly connected to. With great music, food and vibe, Snow stayed for a month and The Onion became one of her homes.

In the background to Snow’s travels, her work with the Summer Camp had only increased and by 2015, there were plans for her to take over running the camp but it left Snow with a dilemma. With travel becoming integral to her being, how could she run the camps and stay true?

A New Way to Work

Remote working was the answer, she didn’t need to be in Belgium when the camps were in the off-season. All she needed was her computer and a wi-fi connection. This freedom and stability worked perfectly for Snow. The lessons she learnt whilst out in the world only improved the Summer Camp’s offerings and she continued to grow as a soul.

By 2017, Snow was spending 4–6 months of the year in Bali and also began taking courses in breathwork and meditation to further her practices. Her Shamanic breathwork training took her to Mexico and she realised it wasn’t about travel anymore. It was about returning to her second home. A place where people spoke the same language as her soul did.

Moving into the Future

The year of Covid has been difficult for many, Snow included, especially with her having to stay in Belgium full time, but it’s also allowed her in many ways to come home. Cutting the umbilical cord with Mother Bali.

A brutal lesson but also a chance to remember her life in Belgium. To reconnect with nature and her family. Learning she didn’t ‘need to be’ anywhere, only to be happy and to think again about the life-long question of ‘Who Am I’? A question she’s not sure she’ll ever fully answer but she’s happy to be on the journey experiencing its reveal.

Lessons from Snow: “Adventure is all around you — big and small. When you travel you learn how to see it in the smallest of places. Be open on your travels, you’re not at home, so try not to act like you are. Be open and embrace what is in front of you.”