A journey for 6 weeks with a man I barely knew was a big step. I knew I was supposed to be safe, because he had the title of Dad. I was confident in my own abilities to travel, problem solve and make good judgement calls in sticky situations… but you never know what to expect when going travelling with a stranger.
It turns out it was easier than I thought. You see, my father was diagnosed at a very late age having bipolar disorder, and he takes lithium to balance himself. After nearly 20 years of not having a father in my life, this was the first time I could handle being in his presence. So I took a leap of faith and went down south. He had lived in Mexico for about 7 years, speaks fluent Spanish, and was happy to be my guardian on a journey to Guatemala. Overall the trip had a lot of sitting on buses, figuring out where we were going, and a few sweet spots to stay at. What all the travelling did forced me to interact at a deaper level with my dad, and I’m grateful for this. There are things I learned on that trip that I would have never experienced “just going for coffee.”
I was also seeking a way to get closer to what everyone called “Spirit.” What is Spirit? Why are people so intimate with “God” and what is that? Sure, I read the books of what people’s perceptions of this higher being is… but I didn’t know for myself. Then once I was told to look in the mirror if I was to look for guidance, something in me clicked. I then spent a week in a magical place called Zipolite. Dad introduced me to an old friend Chaimo, who I’d like to think is a Shaman. A man with a beautiful soul, inspiring eyes, and a full heart. In his families presence, I soaked up the sun, spun fire with the locals and enjoyed the last of my stay in Mexico.
New Years Day, at twilight, under a Full Blue Moon, I wrote a song with a magical man about the power in the mind, the spaces between time, between your fingers and your words… the waves were listening to our song, and the moon lit the sand where we sat. I felt spirit with me.
When I arrived home my heart was filled with peace, joy and magic, even more than I could have asked for. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t27yOb-gs9Y]I felt things with my heart, and saw things, as if for the first time. Soon after I arrived home, my sister sent me to see a local Shaman who lead me on my first Journey. I had an idea of what a Journey was, yet had no idea what would come of it. When the journey was over, the woman told me that I didn’t need to see her again, because the Shaman is in me, and I could do this for myself and for others. Not even two days later, my dearest friend told me we had to take a Druidic Shamanic Healer’s Course with an amazing woman, Deborah Hollins. And without questionning the stars that aligned, I was enrolled in a 13 month course with my best friend.