I Am Free

I am feeling
free
Like…
I am the sky
I am the earth
I am the sun
I am the stars
I am the hills and the mountains
I am the river and the water
I am me
I am my body
I am here and now
I am this moment
I am here
I am free
I am

This is the first thing I wrote in the journal in the Karoo. It is a very true reflection of my time there. A time of deep reflection, contemplation, clarity and just being able to BE. No expectations, no rushing, no reminders, no phones.

Time to sit, lie down, stare into nothing, being in the quiet.

Time to notice – tiny blue flowers, thorny bushes, blue skies, birds playing in the sky, the sounds of nature around you, the sun on your skin, the breeze through your hair, beauty all around

Time to wonder
Time to breathe
Time to cry
Time to be truly afraid and move through that moment and be OK
Time to just be in the moment

Time to just not even think of anything – this was one of the most valuable moments for me. A proper gnarly (Julie’s favourite word that can mean many things) hike. Up hill, down hill, rocks all over the place, thorny bushes catching your clothes, hair and skin. All you do is to focus on where your next step is. One step at a time you move over the landscape. Not even sure where you are going. All you know is that it’s not easy. And in that time of focusing on where you place your next step, your mind goes quiet. You stop thinking. And for a while there is nothing. And then the clarity – clarity on who you are, your worth, the way you live life, the way you work, the way you love – everything about you.

Time to really be alive

Time to appreciate the moments shared with new friends and the carefully curated space created by Julie and the team from Karoo 360. Everything about it – from stitching my own leather foraging bag, walking down the road and getting the 1st view of our camp, the carefully thought through “gifts”, meaningful words, letters and moments created for contemplation. The letters from our loved ones that made us all really ugly-crying. The river crossings and the cold water swim. The food and early morning coffee – so good!!! All done with so much love and attention. 

Thank you Julie for every moment and for the part of you that you shared with us.

An unforgettable experience

And beneath all of it there’s a quiet consistent invitation

To become more discerning
Choosing more carefully what I allow to take hold
To remember, that regardless of what life gives me,
I will always be stronger, braver and lighter on the other side, because in the dark
moments you shed an old, out of date part of yourself
To pause, breathe, look around, notice the magic and beauty
To never forget that I AM