Voyages de Maria

Tomorrow is not always promised

We spend our lives dreaming about tomorrow or reminiscing about our past. Very few are actually really living in this present moment. Nobody knows how much time we have in this incarnation on Earth. And we still live as if tomorrow was promised. We treat our close ones as if they were going to stay with us forever.

Be conscious and aware of yourself. Stop that people pleasing mechanisms and societal conditioning that usually prevent you from doing what's best for you or from enjoying your life to the fullest.

Stop comparing yourself to the others. Each of us is unique. We all have flaws and weaknesses, as per society. But actually, never forget that there is no one like you in this world. You are here because this world needs you with all your talents and capacities.

You are worthy of love, of care and of everything this Universe has to offer. The only limits that are there are the ones that your conditioning is making you see.

Don't take life so seriously. Seek joy and you will realize that the true happiness comes from inside. Shine bright to this world. Spend more time with your loved ones. Tell them that you love them more often, make them feel special.

Tomorrow is not always promised, but if you live your life in an aligned manner, then you are likely to have less regrets at the end. That's how I see it.

So, go and live your life, fly to Paris if you want to, enjoy dancing, create new memories and just be you, your own crazy self !

Love & light,
XOXO
Maria

How do you want to live your life ?

This summer, I met a lot of people from my past, who remembered the person I was then. They thought that I would be working as a lawyer in a big law firm or organisation or even become a deputy or a maire. (Did I actually think of that at that time ??? )

The truth is I am in a constant change and evolution, as all of us, by the way. Some of them told me, that I should fix my self once and for all and find a steady job. That my life style lately wasn't the one they expected to see for my future.

The key word here is "MY" future. I am living "MY" life and nobody can live it for me. Never let people decide what's best for you, be it your family or friends. Take responsibility over your own life. Drive it on your own terms. Only you (and your heart and gut feeling ) know better what's best for you.

For some people stability is really important. Some years ago, I thought that it was the same for me. But I might have been wrong. What really excited me was the adventure, traveling, discovering new things, new places, new cultures, as well as meeting new and very inspiring people.

Of course, sometimes I also struggle with those old patterns that used to be my normal or the ones that society has been trying to impose on us since forever. Sometimes, it's not easy to live the way I live, but it is immensely gratifying at the end.
I get to discover things that I wouldn't have imagined doing, things that I thought impossible before. I am dancing my way through life, shooting in beautiful places, learning new languages, riding horses, meditating, and so much more.

How could I have imagined that I would be living in Egypt, exploring its culture and hidden gems, traveling through its ancient places and feeling all the energy that is hidden in some of them ? Several years ago it seemed not feasible at all. And it revealed to be even easier than I thought.

The certainty is that taking this leap of faith towards things that excite you might be really scary. But once you do it, it makes you grow so much. Do I regret my old life ? No regrets whatsoever.

Should you want to know how to free yourself from the chains of you subconscious programs, don't hesitate to drop me a message. I have some tools that can help you to start living the life of your dreams.

Love & light.
XOXO
Maria

Happy birthday to me !

Last year, I was in Cairo for my birthday. I celebrated it the way I wanted and I am grateful for that. I felt happy and seen. Thankful for that opportunity.

This past year has taught me a lot. It mixed up joy and depression, happiness and sorrow, intimacy and betrayal, growth and the dark night of the soul. I realized that boundaries are really important and that people's reactions are mostly their projections.
Life showed me just how vulnerable and tough at the same time I am. It made me see that everything in this life is temporary, even long lasting friendships. People come and go, as I already mentioned in this blog before.

Life took me places I would not have imagined going so easily to. I visited Siwa, Matrouh and Taba in Egypt, I went to India and spent three weeks in an ashram. I visited London in the best company possible for that time. I went back to Kosovo, after five years, and it was the most healing experience ever.

I developped some new skills and got so much better in photography. I realized just how talented I naturally am for so many things and how my own brain used to limit me.

I got triggered so much and it helped me heal so much more.

Grateful for all the people who loved me or joined my life this year. Even more thankful to those who betrayed and left me. All of them so preciously taught me different lessons, our souls agreed on before coming to earth.

I am still in the process of learning detachment and not having expectations, living in the present moment and surrendering to life. Growth is not a very linear process, it really isn't.

But I know that everything will work out eventually in the best way possible for me and for my highest good. Everything is unfolding the way it should.

Love and light,
XOXO
Maria

People come and go ...

I have just recently realised how naive and stupid I was. I always thought that I was good in seeing people's true nature. Apparently, I was completely wrong. Recent events have shown me that seeing good in people is not always the right thing to do. I would usually have access to the soul of a person and would completely put aside their human flaws. I always tried not to judge people but rather understand their motives.

It seems that some people come to your life just to test your inner strength and your ability to forgive. They show you where you are not putting yourself first, they test your boundaries. And if you suffer from being over responsible and give your trust easily, they just use you and throw you away.

Some people pretend to be your friends and at one point without prior notice they just stop answering your calls, your messages. They unfriend or unfollow you, easily done in this social media world nowadays. They suddenly decide that you are no longer required in their life. Ghosting might be the easiest thing, but it's also the one that hurts the most. Especially, when you really considered them very close friends.

How to deal with that ? I guess by giving you time and space to properly grieve, as well as by realising that for every person that has left your side, the Universe will bring you another one who will be more aligned with your personal goals and aspirations. Nothing is permanent in life, and even this grief and pain of loss will pass.

Meanwhile, give yourself the permission to feel the pain, to sit with it, invite it for a tea. And just know that you are not alone, even if it feels like your whole world collapsed.

Love & light
XOXO
Maria

One way bus ticket to Brussels

At a relatively early age, I discovered that to change my mood I needed movement. I started to use trips as a tactique to get over heartbreaks. And it usually worked well for me. Traveling makes me feel alive. I am always eager to learn new things, visit new places, discover new cultures.

This time, I was home in Strasbourg, feeling pretty low, not wanting to talk to people. I was waiting for my work/salary situation to unfold. I meditated in the morning and realized that a short trip would be a good solution to get myself out there. I checked one or two bus companies' websites and decided to buy a ticket to Brussels. It was a one way ticket and I was leaving the following day.

I took the bus in the morning and just left. I didn't plan anything. I just thought that I would be guided by what I would feel being right for me at that moment. On my way, the bus got stopped and checked by the customs with a dog. They were looking for big sums of money and drugs. When the agent asked me if I had drugs with me, my reaction was 'Are you kidding me ?'. It was a super funny situation, because, of course, she wasn't kidding and she didn't know me. It felt as an insult to me though, since I have never done any drugs and am barely drinking alcohol.

Arrived at the Midi Station in Brussels, a friend of mine, that I met while I was living in Egypt, came to pick me up and showed me Brussels in such a different way : on a motorcycle. Very grateful to hims since it gave me such a different perspective of the city. I used to be a regular guest in Brussels for work some years ago, but this time felt different. Now, I felt so free, so bold, so ready to be me and to show my true self to the world and especially to myself.

Since I was on a low budget, I decided to take a bed in a hostel. OMG, never again ! I got one in the centre of Brussels, the location was great though. I had a bed in a mixed dorm of four. Which was out of my comfort zone but was kind of ok. The worst part happened during the night. In the dorm next to mine, there was a drunk guy who was complaining about his life, crying and vomiting. I was super tired, but could not really sleep. I wanted to go to Amsterdam afterwards, but decided not to, based on this experience. All the affordable places to stay there were only hostels.

Nevertheless, my stay in Brussels was super cool. I took my camera all around the city and walked it through from one end to another. I was just walking, very inspired by the atmosphere of the city, that I used to come to so often before. At one point, I saw a church in the far, and felt that it was calling me. I walked some kilometers to reach it. When I got near, I realized that it was called Saint Maria. Such an interesting coincidence.

I ended up deciding to attend a salsa/bachata party at night after such a long walk and had such a great time dancing and meeting new cool people, that I didn't regret going there.

After spending a couple of nights in Brussels, I decided to take a bus to Luxembourg. Europe is great for traveling. Everything is so near and you can find very affordable solutions.

Have you ever taken spontaneous trips ? Usually, they end up being the best ! Would you dare going somewhere unplanned ?

Fear of making mistakes or striving for perfection

Since I can remember, I always tried to be perfect and would be so hard on myself and would punish myself when/if I would make a slightest mistake.

The education I received implied the fact that if you are not perfect, you won't be loved. And that's what I thought for a long time. Deep down lies the fear of not being worthy, of not being good enough, of not deserving love, attention and appreciation.

If your clothes have stains, no boy would look at you. If you are not cleaning the house, you don't know how to cook, you will not get a husband. ( Now thinking about it, did it help me to get married ? 🙃 I guess not, since I am still single. ) If you are not having the best grades at school, you won't get a good job, you won't be earning a lot of money. Etc...
I guess most of us remember this kind of remarks that would make us put soooo much pressure on ourselves.

If my work is not perfect, I don't want others to see it. Because people wouldn't like it. And you work on it, and work on it again... And it's never perfect enough. Never good enough. It is such a vicious circle.

And sometimes, it goes even beyond that. There might be such a fear of making mistakes, that you keep thinking of it in your head. Your mind keeps going in circles about doing something, but you are so afraid of not managing to do it perfectly, that you are procrastinating. And never actually taking that first step.

A lot of my projects stayed only in my head. But I guess I am not the only one. I have no idea of how long this blog would last, but at least I am taking this first step and hope that it would be of interest to some of you.

Love & light
xoxo
Maria

Story of my life

Once upon a time, there was a girl who discovered that she liked travelling. She would spend all her money on travelling, looking for cheap flights, visiting friends, discovering new places and cultures. She would be working for some months and would go on adventure. Her parents were not rich and couldn't afford her trips. Very young, she realized that she needed to work hard, if she wanted to go places she dreamt of.

She met a lot of people across the globe and made a lot of friends.

One of those people made her notice that she had a good eye for photography and advised her to buy a camera. She started to take pictures of sunrises by the sea and of beautiful landscapes that the country she was in, had to offer. She became obsessed and was taking her camera everywhere. Since she had lots of great shots to share, she decided to start a blog, telling her personal stories, sharing happy and sad times, as well as her healing journey.

I am hoping that this blog will resonate with some of you.

Sending you all love and light.
xoxo
Maria