Gathered Inspiration from Ecuador

I just returned from travels in Ecuador with my daughter Corallyn and my partner Shawn. The experience was beyond my expectations. I was so tired leading up to this trip. I prayed daily that it would actually happen. The pressure of needing a break was mounting and everyone in our community was getting sick, but I was determined to stay clear. I never felt like this before. The second day of our trip was my birthday. The air b&b hosts revealed their botany and agriculture background in their online profiles but we had no idea the extent of their property until we arrived. The land they had purchased twenty years ago had been grazed by cattle, now there was not a pasture in sight. The grounds had been transformed into a wildly organized jungle landscape. You would not expect what lied beyond this backdrop, but we were starting to feel it. The night of our arrival Clemencia was hoping to show us a yellow dragonfruit flower. The night blooming cactus flowers only open once in a 6-10 hour cycle before transforming themselves into a luscious tropical fruit- called Pitahaya or Dragonfruit. We walked in the dark unknowingly. Fireflies lit the way, frogs singing a glorious concerto and like children in a storybook, we searched for the rare blooms. Climbing around the side of the mountain, I spotted one immense flower. Inside of me there was a stirring of joy and emotions. I leaned in to inhale. Its light floral fragrance reached back at me and wandered off. Astounded at our timing to possibly witness more of these fragrant gigantic blossoms, we rose before sunrise to catch a glimpse of more flowers. We walked for 10 minutes down a road lined with jungle flora and fauna. Tiny waterfalls and creeks weaved their way in the nearby understory; until we saw an opening and followed it. If every path could be an analogy for life, I would be in a continual philosophical contemplation. Heads down we stepped over wet terrain carefully tracking our next move. Seconds later, our eyes did, what these flowers do, they opened. I was unlocked in rapture. Cut into the hillside of the cloud forest stood the immensity of a farm that spanned hectares and hectares of dragonfruit aligned in perfect rows that stretched into the distance. I could cry just thinking of the beauty and the gift of this moment. This journey was a fulfillment of my soul and its purpose. It is my nature to roam, to explore, and to discover. I followed my instincts, which ultimately led me here. We all have inherit traits that govern our possibilities. Mine have always been with the plants or the natural world. My intent can start to feel diminished if I spend too much time in a routine or caught up in the rat race. In my heart, I know my truth. I encourage you to reflect on your instinctual spirit.