Tag: Journey

Tears in Tulum

Posted on by Schalonda

Clearing Clutter for Clarity

Today is October 5, 2019 and I’m sitting on the lakefront deck at a hotel in Flores, Guatemala. It’s been exactly 1 month since my flight from Havana landed at Cancun International Airport and I made my way to Tulum. I didn’t want to be in Tulum, I wanted to be home, in my bed surrounded by all my stuff but that wasn’t possible. My home and stuff were long gone, so I’d have to settle for a cheap hostel instead.

Landing

In Cuba, I barely lifted a finger. Everything was taken care of and it felt like a much needed vacation. Tulum meant an end to all comfort and the beginning of a long hard road ahead with no relief in sight. I was exhausted the minute my plane landed in Cancun.

day 1

I woke up, climbed down from the top bunk, showered and got food. After breakfast, while I sat in the lobby/common area, I felt them coming. After years of holding back my tears, believing they were useless and didn’t help or solve anything, they did what I trained them to do, they sat unmoving in my throat. Little by little, I coaxed them out with the truth of my situation. I was tired of moving from place to place. Tired of loneliness and decision making. Tired of stinking, sweating, ever shrinking personal space, mosquito bites & useless repellent, hostels, clogged showers and the fucking top bunk. I missed the simpIe comforts of home but I didn’t want to go back to the States. My Hostel was gross and I couldn’t bear to think of a future with more of the same. I let my tears know it was safe to come out, no matter how many people were around to whiteness and finally they came, one by one but not nearly enough.

Making Space

Turns out, tears DO help. They are not useless. They helped me let go of built up frustration, stress and travel fatigue, which felt good. Tired, worn out and not sleeping well, my desire to explore was gone. If my bed had been comfortable I might have stayed in it. Instead, my tears cleared space for an idea that felt perfect. Solutions to all my problems would be found after a good massage.

Exploring Cost

Tears came two or three more times before my massage, including crying myself to sleep and a near meltdown when I got lost looking for the massage spot. After Carlos worked his magic, things began to look and feel better. I enjoyed a full day exploring Tulum by bike and realized that cheap hostels were costing me too much. Energy is required to continue safely on this journey and I need to stay in places that recharge instead of drain me.

Fear of Spending

Here I am again, confronted with one of the most resilient skeletons in my closet. My limiting beliefs about and damaged relationship with money. I believe that money equals safety and the more money I spend, the less safe I am. Vibrating just beneath my surface at all times, my spending alarm BLASTED (see iPhone, old car horn) when I withdrew a large sum of cash for my Cuban Adventure. This action felt scary and unsafe but I knew it was just the beginning of something much bigger and my decision to stop using cheap accommodations was a confirmation there was work ahead.

Attainable Healing

I knew long before it began that this journey would change me and that thought excited me. Now, in the midst of changing, the excitement has dulled with the routine of daily practice. I’ve spent a great deal of time working on my beliefs about myself & money since Tulum and I think my effort it’s paying off, pun intended 😁. This post comes after 5-days of “no alarm” spending in Belize, considered the #2 most expensive country in Central America, with Costa Rica coming in at #1. My spending fears and money beliefs are tied other belief baggage I have about being unworthy and not enough, so there’s much more work to be done, but I’m feeling optimism, like healing is actually attainable. It’s not the first time I’ve tried fixing my relationship with money but this feeling is new, something I was missing both times I read Your Are A Badass At Making Money with my family. 

Resources for You

These books have made a MAJOR contribution to my life and feelings of optimism in the last two months. 

*The Illusion of Money: Why Chasing Money is Stopping You From Receiving It by Kyle Cease
• E-book, LA Public Library

Happy Money: The Japanese Art of Making Peace with Your Money by Ken Honda
• Audio Book, also available as an E-book from LA Public Library

Seth Speaks: The Eternal Validity of The Soul by Jane Roberts
• Audio Book, also available on YouTube

It’s Not Your Money: How to Live Fully From Divine Abundance by Tosha Silver
• E-book, LA Public Library

Outrageous Openness: Letting the Divine Take the Lead by Tosha Silver
• E-book, LA Public Library

Moving Through Mexico

Posted on by Schalonda

 

Life
on
the
move:
A New Normal

Getting Uncomfortable

I began this adventure with a month in Mexico City but that’s not really traveling, is it? Staying in one spot is easy and a month is plenty of time to get comfortable. Now I start moving, actually traveling and part of me would rather stay comfortable in this familiar place instead of moving toward the unknown.

an
oppor
tunity
to feel
dis
comfort every
day…
price
less

 

Puerto escondido

8:30 am, Thursday, July 18, 2019
I took an Uber to Mexico City International Airport and boarded a flight to Puerto Escondido. This was the departure city for a tour I missed because I waited too long to book it. I decided to go there anyway, relax on a warm beach for a few days and follow the tour route on my own.

7 am, Thursday, July 18, 2019
I arrive in Puerto Escondido and grossly overpay for a taxi that drops me at my very first hostel by 11:30. Too early for check-in, I shed my suitcase, grab a map from reception then i’m off to check out the neighborhood. Wearing a backpack filled with all my electronic devices, a comfy skort and hiking shoes w/ socks, I head for the closest beach. After descending thousands of steps, I found myself at a packed beach with no place to take off my shoes. In less than 5 minutes, waves rush up and soak my feet. No worries though, it actually feels good having the water cool me off a bit.

Shortly after I find a spot to remove my shoes and enjoy sand between my toes, a wave comes and snatches a shoe while my back is turned. I spot it floating. Mouth wide, I watch for a minute or two before shoving my backpack in the bushes and jumping in after it. I manage to get it back but cut my foot real good in the process. I don’t care that i’m soaked. Puerto Escondido was so hot, I figure i’ll be dry by the time I make it back to hostel. The bloody foot scares me though…

I was pissy about the overwhelming heat, my foot wound and that overpriced cab ride for my first 2 days in PE. On day 3, I decide to let it go and enjoy. I have an awesome bike ride, a great day at the beach, tasty fish tacos and happy hour at the hostel.

My final day, I do my very best to avoid sweating, so I work on my blog until it’s time to catch my bus to Oaxaca.

oaxaca

7 am, Monday, July 22, 2019
The 9 hour ADO bus ride sucks. Even though the seats recline, the bus is cold, winding roads toss you around ALL night and it’s impossible to get comfortable. That being said, you can’t beat the price.

I drop my bag at the hostel after an affordable ten minute cab ride and look for a coffee shop with Wifi thats open at 7:3o am. I get lucky and find one around the block.

7:30 am, Monday, July 22, 2019
I have to say, Oaxaca is beautiful when she sleeps. The empty streets would have made for gorgeous photos but I don’t feel like snapping picts. I decide to appreciate everything I see and keep it as a memory. I consider waking up early for a photo shoot but it never happens.
At the coffee shop I make plans to visit the Monte Albán archaeological site.

With the weather finally on my side, I enjoy perfect temperatures while hiking the archaeological ruins. Patches of clear blue sky and fluffy white clouds make the perfect backdrop for picts of the ancient pyramids.

The hours spent wondering the Archaeological site and exploring the neighborhood take a toll on my wounded foot. Day 2 is a rest, write, research and plan day. Back on both feet, I spend a lot of day 3 at the Culture Museum and catch the Temple of Santo Domingo and the Ethnobotanical Garden as well.

Day 4 is a jam packed day trip with six stops.

  1. Mitla archaeological site
  2. Hierve el Agua petrified waterfalls
  3. Buffet lunch
  4. Mezcal making & tasting at El Rey de Matatlan
  5. Traditional weaving presentation in Teotitlan
  6. Tule, home of 2,000 yr old widest tree ing the world

I spend My final day snapping picts and hunting art galleries before i’m back on the ADO for the 18 hour ride to San Cristobal.

Sifting through stuff

Posted on by Schalonda

 

First it hurts, Then it changes you.

– D. Hendrix       

I’ve invaded my Mom’s house and spread what’s left of my worldly possessions all over the place while I figure out what’s coming with me, what goes in storage and what to let go of forever.

I know 95% of what I brought to Texas will be left behind. Although I’m looking forward to living with less, some things are harder than others to say good-bye to. 

Im storing all my old journals and sketchbooks, I have a collection of pens & markers I want to travel with and i’m determined to bring at least two of my six scarves.

Now that the hard part  is done, it’s time to pack. I know i’ll regret leaving without my beloved stuff, but i’m counting on making awesome discoveries along the journey.

We need much less than we think we need.

– Maya Angelou

The Journey Begins

Posted on by Schalonda

Los Angeles, CA

I’ve lived in Los Angeles since 1998. 21 years ago I moved from San Diego to Los Angeles so I could finish school, get my BA at CSUN and defer repayment on my student loans.

On Wednesday, May 15, I caught the 10pm Amtrak from LA to San Antonio. I thought a 2-day train ride would be a great way to get my thoughts together before leaving the US for my first international stop, Mexico City. I also really love the train and the fact that it’s a great place for drawing is an added bonus.

When I arrived at LA Union Station I was feeling nervous. Maybe because I was leaving behind most everything I’ve known for over 21 years, maybe it was fear of all the unknown ahead, maybe it was both or maybe it was something else all together. Instead of trying to figure out why I was nervous, I decided to use that energy for good.

I met a fellow blogger and train enthusiast name Rick, who was on a 23 day Amtrak adventure through the US. Rick snapped this pic of me and my sketchbook.

Continue reading “The Journey Begins” →