December 25, 2019, was my 5-year Anniversary of moving South of the (U.S.) Border from Kirkland, Washington to Placencia, Belize, Central America.

Of course, I HAD to write a blog post paying tribute to the 5 years!  Yet, as the days came and went I lost my oomph.  I realized that despite it being such a milestone, I have already written a lot about the experiences and lessons learned from my move to Belize.  I decided to sum up the 5 years with 5 big lessons learned.  I will link back to previous blogs for more details.

Lessons in Taking a Leap

INTUITION

Even though I had been wanting to move somewhere warm for many many years, I didn’t know HOW to go about it if I left the USA.

After much debating, dreaming, and trying to figure it all out, my Intuition finally kicked in full force to help Guide me.

Yes, I literally and truly only used my Intuition to decide to move to Belize.

Considering all the Intuition and Spiritual Guides confirmation about staying in Belize, to be honest, I never had that “This is Home” feeling that many say they have about Placencia.  In fact, when it came time to make the decision to stay five years ago I asked my Intuition, my Spirit Guides and even my Mentor, “really?  This is where I am supposed to be?” I have asked that MANY times since and have always gotten a YES – until recently.

The first 3 months were hard-core vacation and Fun mode.  The next 6 months were calmer as tourist friends left and the heat kicked in – so did my Focus.  I had to figure out how to make a living doing what I love – Energy Healing!

Using and Trusting my Intuition took me to new heights in both my Life Decisions and my Intuitive Gifts.  It actually became an important service I offer – teaching others how to tap into and improve their own Intuition!  Trusting our own Inner Guidance is so important!

In July 2019, probably close to 5 years after getting the initial vibe (intuition) to move to Belize, I started receiving new Intuition that I could move away from Belize if I wanted.  Shocker!

It has been weird to shift from that constant YES of staying in Belize to thoughts of living in a new location.  It doesn’t feel real.

I got prepared in case I made the decision to leave.  I did another big purge of possessions – selling, trashing, and keeping.

In October 2019, I headed North to Bacalar, Mexico to try it for a few months.  Turns out the internet is really awful here (worse than Belize – who knew that was possible?!!  Wait, that isn’t fair, the internet improved greatly over the last two years.) so I’ll be heading further North to Playa del Carmen to check it out.  I already know I love it there, but would I want to live there?  If not, where do I want to live now?  I kind of like the idea of moving every few months to try a bunch of different places.  Anything is Possible.

HEALING GALORE

Belize is a great place to chill, detox (well not literally if you are drinking the yummy Rum!  HA let’s clarify that – I’m talking about emotional and energetic detox), and unwind from Stressful Life.

It’s not because you are “away from it all” though that plays a part.  Since Belize is a small country and only 390,353 people (as of May 2019, thank you Google), it is still very rustic and undeveloped in most areas.  The energy is more expansive and not bogged down with environmental factors like people, buildings, cars, etc.  All of those things create the energetic vibration, frequency, and feeeeeeeeeling of a place.

I literally left my Old Life and Old Me behind.  I feel strongly that intuition guided me to Belize so I could do the deep healing that was needed – in many ways and on many levels.  What I’ve discovered over the 16 years I’ve been doing Energy Healing on myself and others is that it happens in layers.  For example, my big life lesson is about Rejection and Abandonment.  I thought I had “dealt with” and “healed” all that…until I got to Belize.  I was given that lesson again in a myriad of ways once in Placencia.  The nitty-gritty on all those lessons can be found in my 4-year Review.

How do you know you’ve made progress and things have shifted?  In general, you aren’t getting triggered.  One example, in particular, is that the Bully I had the whole time in Placencia was extremely nice and friendly to me when I ran into her before I left.  It truly felt like an episode out of The Twilight Zone.  I’d call that Healed (until the next layer at least! HA!) and coming full circle!  Who knows?  Maybe she learned a few things too over the course of time!?!!

PATIENCE

I always thought of myself as a Patient Person.  Living in Belize has taken my ability to be patient to an extremely high level!!!

Belize isn’t an island but it is definitely on Caribbean “Island Time”!!!  A couple of phrases that are used often but literally do not hold true to their actual definition are “right now” and “directly”.  When this is said, It covers ANY AMOUNT OF TIME in the near or far future.

Learning how to Wait and keeping calm while doing so is the norm now.  I expect the unexpected, don’t take things personally and keep a realistic perspective.

RESILIENCE

Again, I thought I was pretty resilient before but moving to Belize took that to a whole new level!  From navigating culture and different ways of doing things to process and procedures (or lack of and they change based on who you talk to) – what might have been a simple thing to navigate before takes more effort and potentially a lot more time.

Last year I struggled with a tooth infection (unbeknownst to me for the first 3 months which is why it became so urgent and threatening).  Finding proper Dental care was a struggle.  I traveled multiple times to Playa del Carmen, Mexico to seek Professional care.  (Belize, in general, is not known for it’s Medical Care – though it would do in a pinch for most cases?  Yes, I question that after my dental experience.)

Networking with others, speaking up, and asking a lot of questions are great skills to put into practice.  From finding items, service providers, shipping items of convenience down, to figuring out how to get your tooth fixed… all of these big or small challenges create a new way to see, experience and especially navigate the world.

You never know what you can handle until you are put in the position to find out.  Bring it on World!!

DOING IS KNOWING

I know for a fact if I hadn’t left the U.S. 5 years ago that I’d still be sitting in my cubicle at Boeing wondering if “this” is what life is all about.  I’d be yearning and wondering for something different, for something more.  I’d wonder how to live more Authentically, doing what I love.  I know this because I have felt many times like a loser on this journey (especially all last year) and that I should just “go back and get a job”.  Each time I consider this I get nauseous — my body is screaming not to do it.

It hasn’t all been fun, of course not, the struggles are there to build character.  A lot of things I was shown Intuitively 5 years ago about Belize did not manifest.  Maybe I changed, maybe the thing changed based on the other factors or people involved.  I do believe in Divine Timing (soooooooooooooooooon haha my favorite word!) and that Everything Happens for a Reason.

Taking that leap and actually DOING what I’d dreamed of and wanted for so many years – that action alone held the power for me.  It wasn’t what came next, or what didn’t come next.  I DID IT!!!

I am a better, stronger, wiser, and fiercer Warrior for taking that leap.

The questions I asked 5 years ago when debating staying in Belize – and that I continue to ask when making decisions (and maybe you’d like to ask it too for things in your life ) – are:
“What is the worst that could happen?” and
“If not Now, WHEN?”

Now, you can’t just ask and freak out and not answer it (like I did at first, hence 2 days of anxiety).  Take the time to answer the question.  And dig deep!  There is no “worst” or “later” – – there is only NOW.

The only reason you perceive the worst or have fears is that you haven’t done it yet OR you are bringing past experience into the present!!  So, decide to do it and see how you like it!  You can always change your mind!

If I look at things on the smallest of scales, the majority of things I wanted from moving have been accomplished:
*Living my Authentic Life doing work that is my Soul’s purpose
*Living in blue sky and sunshine the majority of the year
*Living life on my terms = a Simpler Life.

ROAR!!!