What is it
that makes you feel
secure?
Is it knowing that you have a roof to reside under?
Is it accumulating green paper into a vault in case one day you need it?
Is it spending your day within the walls of the corner office?
Is it having someone to come home to
someone who knows you
and loves you
even if you snore, wear sweatpants, throw tantrums, and hog the bed?
If you had no place to live
owned nothing but a backpack, an antique rug, and a pair of snakeskin shoes
watched pennies drown from your modest account
worked jobs as fleeting as shooting stars
and hadn’t had a relationship in years
Would you feel vulnerable?
Would you feel empty?
Would you feel insecure?
That home could be foreclosed
burned
shattered by vibrations from the ground.
Your bank could disintegrate in one afternoon
sending your perfect stacks into the ether.
Your office could be revoked
no matter your dedication
no matter your drive.
And that person who loves you
might leave you
sometimes without even wanting to.
What if all that belonged to you was yourself?
Your only role was to live?
The one institution was the earth?
Your relationships existed
in the moments when they happened
instead of forced to forever endure?
Is it actually our belongings
our roles
our institutions
and our relationships that make us secure?
The less belongings I have and the less I have to belong to
the more I learn the ever changing truth about myself
and the subjective, reflective truth of this world.
Perhaps with nothing
I am closer to security
than I have ever actually been.
Relying only on the fact
that every time I inhale
I exhale
and every day the sun rises
it also sets.
This may be my favorite post so far!
<3
Yes, I agree, this is my favorite post so far. It brings me to tears. There’s so much angst that goes into wanting to feel secure. You are brave and wise beyond your years!
Thank you so much Kathleen!!
beautiful pictures. Most of us don’t have your freedom (so to speak) like I typed earlier I have parents to care for and cats and while your beautiful pictures make me smile I wonder what you left behind….I would love to have the ability to be able to do that, so should I just leave everything to go off on my selfish adventures? No way….I love the photos but sometimes a person has to do the right thing and be responsible. Yes my security is my home for the moment and modest as it is I need it to take care of my family.
God bless…keep on posting the great pictures…but please your preaching about having nothing but the air and such is a bit … annoying…so do you just live on air and sea water….you must have a nice camera to take such nice pictures (they are very good) and a computer so …..just my opinion…..you must have some $$$$ coming from something somewhere…lets heear about your real life in Costa Rica….I don’t mean to be mean…let’s just be real
Sue:
Do you have any idea how much the cost of living is in a developing country aka a 3rd World Country?
Did you bother to read how she got her money to travel or her income or her budget (which she’s a bit neurotic about)? Does it occur to you that she owned a computer and a camera? I doubt if her camera is high-end, it is just that beautiful in Costa Rica and beyond.
She does not have cats, she has no parents to take care of. It is her life, not yours. Who are you say she is not responsible, and that you want to hear about the REAL Costa Rica. I found her blog because I am moving to Puerto Viejo next year (my favorite place on earth). She actually inspired me to go to Europe first.
Pura Vida
I think you have a straordinary way to live your life, so clear and serene .. i think the life that you choose for yourself it’s perfect for you. Me, instead, i’m a person that takes care of my surroundings, wich have strong relationships, and which fight for all those things. Maybe these will change countless times in the years, but i live in the present, i have a person to love, a work that i love so much, a safe home that i build piece to piece..i’m grateful for every day that i spend on hearth.. we have so different lifestyle, but i think i understand very well what you were trying to say. Kisses. Cris
Thank you for your kind words Cris. I am a strong believer that we each have our own path towards bliss. Mine, at this point in my life, is through travel. It sounds like yours is in the art of nesting and making a home. I’m glad that despite our different lifestyles my words still resonate with you. All the best to you!! <3
Wow these pics are divine!
Thank you Andi! Wow, that is so so flattering coming from you. I’m honored that you enjoyed them 🙂
We have been reading this blog for the last 3 hours!! What an adventure. We are wanting to go to Puerto Viejo. We are currently in Ireland, but I think I will srivel up if I have to spend one more winter here. We were also from Seattle! We’ve been country hopping for almost 3 years. We may go to Puerto Viejo for about 3-6 months. Thank you for this incredible blog it has really helped us.
You’re so welcome! I’m honored that you’ve found it to be so helpful. If you haven’t already, please watch my youtube video on Puerto Viejo for even more tips:
It’s really an amazing place to live.
Sounds like my lifelong dream. I’ll never forget this movie I saw as a young kid called ‘My Side of the Mountain. I said to myself “I want to live my life like that.”
‘http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/34127/My-Side-of-the-Mountain/overview
Charming website, I’ll be there soon with my Guitar. Can I bring my Dog and Cat?
🙂
Thanks John 🙂
:o}