Some of the first reactions I got to this to this photo was "whoa, dirt in your butt! In your hair!" "What if you get tics?" "That looks uncomfortable!"
News flash, I did get dirt in my butt and hair, and bit by dozens of tics. But I took those suckers out by their heads, and done. (Shoutout to growing up in Brazil where we lived with them on the daily)
Then I wondered, why do we have such an aversion to nature?Why do we immediately revert to the negative for different situations? Why do we shun nature, the very thing this earth was created for and what we were meant to live with, in favor of disinfected everything, bleached this, protected that. We are so far from nature that we created a whole other world of modern diseases and medicine for that world 💊💉
I recently fell into that trap, taking medicine for side effects of other medicines until I decided, no more. What I need for this time, my body can provide. Modern medicine has its place, yes, but it's not the end all be all, nor the only option. To me it's a last resort. I'm a faerie, and that shit does not feel good at all. What does feel good is letting that go, and using nature to heal.
Witches are dirty, nasty, playful, fun, unpredictable, and connected to the earth. They don't rely on modern medicine cause they know everything they need for healing nature has already provided for us. Faeries are literally nature. The bridge between the seen and unseen world. The sprites who only show themselves to those who they respect and recognize as their own kind.
I'm bringing nature back to humans in a way they haven't seen before. I'm helping others heal their trauma and connect to themselves using only what's provided in nature. I'm forging a new path that allows you to be who you are, with all dirtiness, discomfort and primal nature you were born with, but lost along the way. You don't have to be afraid of yourself, nature, or disease anymore. You can just be. Isn't that a relief.
Come be a Faerie Witch with me!
How to find the beauty in taking risks
The amount of people that still think I'm traveling with a dude, or someone that is secretly taking my photos, or that I'm only in places where I have friends/know others is hilarious.
Sure, there are times I'm unsure of where to stay. I have to be careful as a solo female traveler, but it doesn't deter me from getting out and exploring the world.
Last year when I heard about the murder of Gabi Petito on SM, I was camped in the desert in the above photo. The thought crossed my mind that maybe I should move. Maybe I wasn’t safe. Maybe there was a serial killer in this desert. Ridiculous thoughts I would've never considered had I not known about it the murder beforehand.
Then I remembered that this girl’s situation had nothing to do with mine. her story is not mine, her life is not mine, her circumstances are not mine. So why was I afraid? I chose in that moment to stay in the spot I was, and I would have missed the incredible sights and adventures the next day if I chickened out and left to a "safer" spot.
We've been so programmed as females in society to stay in one place, not explore or go out on our own. That everything is dangerous and out to kill us. That we're not safe without a man.
Sure, there are risks. But we risk our lives everyday driving in our car to go to the store. If I had listened to everyone who told me to stay home the past 2 years, I would still be in the same Austin apartment I lived in for ten years. I would've never gone to Asia, driven across the U.S, stayed in cabins in remote areas & seen friends around the country.
Even now as I prepare for my next trip, people are asking if I know anyone there or if I'm going to see someone. No, I don't know anyone in that country, and most of the time I don’t speak the language of that country either. I just go and learn on the fly. that’s the beauty of traveling. That’s the beauty of freedom and the beauty of taking risks.
Stop letting all the fear mongering on the news affect you. Stop letting other's fears affect you. Turn off the TV. For real. Just stop watching the news. You will see how little it really affects you when you step away from the brainwashing and just live your life. Yes, there will always be others suffering. But how do you expect to help them when you won't even help yourself? Put yourself first. There is no shame in it.
Then get outside and go do something you've always wanted to but have been too scared to. 💚💜💙
Don't let others get in the way of your plans
Reminiscing on my accidental 8 hour hike in the Idaho mountains in nothing but a bikini and shorts
Recently I was thinking back on a time in 2021 that I accidentally went on an 8 hour round trip hike specifically to swim in a glacier lake at the top of the Sawtooth Mountains.
This hike itself was not an accident, I fully intended to go. It was however, totally last minute and I climbed the 4 hours up in nothing but my tennis shoes, a bikini and a water bottle. Needless to say, I passed many a concerned hiker with all their gear, telling me it's a 4 hour trek up and 4 hours back down and I wasn't dressed appropriately, lol. But I was not deterred.
Sometimes the best experiences are the ones least planned. I was lounging in a hot spring thinking how I'm totally gonna regret this visit to Idaho if I didn't go find and swim in that lake. So I picked up and left.
While yes, hiking one way for 4 hours was not my plan (I initially thought it was a 4 hour TOTAL hike, not 4 hours one way) and I probably would have prepared more, turns out it really wasn’t necessary. The water bottle I had was enough. It was September in Idaho so not hot at all.
Turns out this became one of my favorite days in Idaho. Not only because of the insane beauty 10,000 feet up, but because of the random people I met along the way (many kind and concerned souls, and also another lone hiker on the way down!) and the incredible sights I saw.
I was literally the only person there. There were two lakes, and everyone was headed to the bigger, grandiose one. which means the small lake was completely empty and literally the most peaceful place I had been to on my trip. Not to mention the glacier water was crystal clear, as you could see the ice from the mountaintops melting in the water below. So I was able to get fresh, pure, glacier water to fill up my depleted water bottle.
People always tell you you can’t do things. They’ll say it’s too dangerous or it’s too risky. "You don't have the right shoes, what about a bear, you'll run out of water, you have a small dog, you'll get ticks," blah blah blah. I don’t listen to them. If I want to do something and it feels good to me, I do it. And those experiences always end up being the best ones.
Do not let other people’s fear deter you from doing what you want. If I had let anyone’s fear of my solo trip around the USA affect me, I would have never left! Instead, it became one of the most incredible 6 months of my life. Thank others for their concern, then move with your life.
See below for more pictures of my solo hike and to see photos of me in my hiking gear 😂
Do I stay or do I go?
How to deal with the post travel blues
When I got back from my 6 month trip around the USA, I found myself in strange space mentally. Overall it was an incredible trip, but towards the end, I also felt incredibly lonely. I ended up making a detour in California to visit family because I longed for the connection and comfort of familiar faces.
When I got back to Texas, I felt torn. At times I longed for the solitude, stillness and peace of nature, yet other times I was so glad to be back around my friends and family, as six months on the road was a long time for me to be away by myself.
During my time of transition I focused on slowing down, tried to be more in the moment, and enjoy my downtime and the simple things in life. I focused on connected with my family and friends, and getting back to the simple things in life I missed on the road like going to the gym, sitting in the sauna, or cooking a fancy meal.
I also focused on movement. Whether that was exercising, dancing, taking a walk, running, yoga, swimming, or anything in between. Movement helped clear those feeling of sadness and “what’s next”, and allowed me to slow down and enjoy my life in the present more.
There are all kinds of things we can do for the post travel blues, but for me, taking it day by day, getting back to the simple things that bring you joy in your life, and moving your body was so key for me. I needed to get back to cooking healthy meals for myself every day. I needed to keep moving my body and walking and hiking just like I did every day on my trip for 6 months. I needed to sit in the sauna and do cold plunges to shock my body just like I did on my trip swimming in glacier lakes. All this and more helped me get over my travel blues and back to a state of being happy in the present.
I don’t know what the future holds for me. I have no idea where I’ll be living in a couple months or what I’ll be doing. All I know is that this is the life I wanted, with the freedom to be able to get up and go whenever I feel like and choose my destination whenever I want. It definitely isn’t easy, but it’s exciting to know that this is the exact life I wanted for myself. Now I just need to trust that everything will work out exactly as it's meant to.
Until then, I remain in Texas, happy in the warmth of its winters, close to all that is familiar and everyone I hold dear.
How is this my life?
When you start healing, anything is possible
Sometimes I see photos like this and I'm like, "how is this my life?" Then I remembered that I made this shit happen! Sure, traveling alone in my card for 6 months can be hard, lonely at times, has its ups and downs and for sure way more expensive than anticipated, but the reward I get in experiencing sights like this daily is incomparable and totally worth it!
I wouldn’t trade my travel experiences for anything in the world. I’ve said no to a lot of things this year and left a lot of people/relationships behind in order to put my dream and desires first. Traveling the world but especially exploring this beautiful country has been something I’ve wanted to do for so long, so I stopped waiting and made it happen.
So far the outcome has been totally worth it and I would do this over and over if given the chance. Do not trade your dreams for anyone or anything. Put yourself first. It always pays off and you will never regret it.
MAGIC...it's real
“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” — Roald Dahl
I felt magic walking in the fields amongst the fireflies, walking naked in the woods in the creek and swimming in the lakes around Montana. Magic is everywhere, in the earth, in the trees, in the wind, in the animals, in us. It's just up to you if you want to open your eyes to see it or not.