Croatia: Where the sea shifted something in me
I’ve learned in life to expect the unexpected… tbh, I knew something was brewing inside and ‘change’ was coming. Honestly, I thought the ‘main reason’ for this trip was to strengthen and deepen my Mum’s and my relationship. Little did I know I was about to embark on the biggest adventure of my life thus far after returning from this incredible vacation, because of this trip. Before we get to those goods (hint it’s one of the reasons this blog now exists;), I thought I’d share more context of this experience. AND! How I grounded, found alignment and supported my nervous system throughout the vacation.
I’ve always known water - being in and near - is important and beneficial to my overall well-being. In fact, when I reflect back on where I’ve lived over the years, it’s no accident that I lived in NYC and Chicago near water. Granted, the Hudson River is far from beautiful. But… there has been ‘something’ that supports and stirs my soul by being near water. Case in point, it makes sense as to why I lived in Nosara, Costa Rica for 2 years on the ocean’s edge when I did.
As I found myself on a growth and (health) healing journey over the past 4+ years, I’ve learned that water indeed grounds me - it helps to regulate, nourish and sooth my nervous system, AND supports the mind-body-soul connection.
Not to mention, there is simply something awe inspiring when you see gorgeous hues of tranquil waters - whether its sparkling turquoise or see-through navy blue - witnessing the natural magic that exists in the world moves me every time. What I’ve found to be true is that:
Looking at water has the power to be its own meditative or mindful experience as it can easily shift us out of the monkey mind, spiraling and frantic energy. It can take a stressed nervous system to one of calm, presence and ease.
As i’ve come to learn more about myself, and have gotten curious about ‘this’ aspect - ie my draw to water - my human design includes ‘Shores’ as my environment where I feel the most magical, alive, aligned and more. So while I don’t attach to any of this, I appreciate this affirmation to trust the pull to live and spend time in coastal locations AND near water, as it strengthens my confidence and connection with hearing and listening to myself.
Also, while my sun is an earth sign, my rising (Scorpio) is a water sign for which I do believe supports the fact that water definitely grounds me, brings me out of my head and back into my body, stimulates and soothe the senses and can stop the spiraling. I leaned into this so much when I lived in Costa Rica.
This vacation - in my mind - going in, was an opportunity for my Mum and I to continue deepening our relationship and give us both unique and different experiences that were on our bucket list.
Well, as I’ve been exploring and experiencing, what was more important to come out of this trip was a new level of connection with myself.
I do truly believe the sea stirred so much deep within me.
But before we get to that, I should add, I was somewhat speculative of sailing on a yacht. I honestly thought that is was something that only uber wealthy and trust fund babies were able to experience. Hmm…was this also a self worth situation related to money (and material things) that was showing up?
The ‘funny’ thing is - as the trip started out, the ego was quick to get chatty Cathy on me - ‘You’re the youngest here. There’s all these couples. There’s all these people who already know each other and it’s just Mum and I on our own. This could be a long week….’ yikes. I didn’t realize the Debby downer snuck into my suitcase.
Mum was hopeful there’d be a nice young (single) man on the yacht with his Dad and there would be a lovely rom-com that unfolded. No such chance. And the crew - either young enough to be my child or committed (much to our dismay the dashing Captain revealed he was married as his wife and baby joined us on the yacht for the final 2 days). Oh well, maybe next time…
So what does one do when she recognizes chatty Cathy crashed the party? I got curious. I saw the opportunities. Particularly to just ‘be’. To let my inner mermaid swim carefree in the sea, to wander and explore the charming old towns, and lean into sailing on a yacht - something I am extremely fortunate to have been able to do.
Gratitude, appreciation, mindfulness and presence have become pillars for me in keeping grounded and in alignment. And sometimes I have to dig deep. Letting go, recognizing the ‘stories’ and taking some easy breaths end up grounding and brought me back into alignment, which shifted my energy and vibe.
And in no time, we were easily making friends. As someone who is used to exploring solo, it became natural to both swim with our new friends and equally explore the towns together. Getting to know these folks from western PA and Canada played into making this a memorable trip, as conversations flowed, laughter led to happy tears and tummy aches and smiles for days.
Maybe we got lucky with the group - either way, I especially realized that this experience - of being on a yacht with an intimate group - gave Mum and I the opportunities to have space and do a bit of our own things and be together for meals and exploring the towns. there was a beautiful balance naturally. I need alone /solo time and I was able to get my daily dose. Whereas my Mum didn’t have to be alone - she could always find someone to talk to when she wasn’t napping. This - being able to both have our own unique experiences - was a major benefit. Admittedly I had before we left a fearful moment of ‘we’re going to be stuck on a ship for a whole week’ - particularly as someone who travels and has spent a lot of time alone, it was very refreshing to easily find ways to get my own quiet and space AND not worry about Mum being alone.
Truly the trip was designed in a way that for me is ‘just right’ - it stimulated my mind and soul with exploring the ancient and stunning Croatian towns, with their quaint stone streets and buildings and soothed my mind-body-soul by spending time daily in the Adriatic Sea and simply relaxing. Admittedly the time moved fast - almost too fast. But I found it easy to be present and engaged with each moment. Possibly in part because I didn’t have to think about planning anything for the future….
We typically had swim stops late morning or early afternoon which were perfect
When I was in the water I let myself go and it felt like nothing else mattered. Being in water grounded and aligned me because it naturally allowed me to clear my mind, connect with my body and soul without giving energy, force or attention. Gratitude, thanks and appreciation for this magical experience oozed from my heart and soul. As a result, the energy that flowed through me daily was lighter and vibrant. Lastly, in this state, mindfulness and presence happened, and my nervous system was naturally nourished.
I share this because I think mindfulness and connecting with oneself is a lot simpler and easier to access than one may think. Also when it comes to grounding and supporting our nervous system, nature and water are superpowers.
There were so many incredible memories and moments - one of the highlights was a water aerobics class where our abs got a workout from all the laughter.
While I was in vacation and relaxation mode, the little sparkles within were beginning to shine. What do I mean by this you may wonder?
This is my way of explaining what it feels like inside - when my intuition and soul are both excited, engaged and ultimately getting my attention - that ‘something’ is interesting, needs to change, and is alerting me to the ‘direction’ I’m to go. To the path I’m to take- to explore - these sparkles also come in the way of affirming decisions and directions too. Some may call this something else - for me - I like to think of these glimmering lights within - and as we are all energy - these nuggets of warm energy are lighting us up within to opportunities, realizations, and ultimately for me - hearing and connecting with our soul’s path and truths.
The reoccurring little warmth and sparkle that kept coming up was that I am to work in and with travel - I needed to figure it out - as I reflected on my past until this point and in a different way than I had before - seeing my journey with kindness and compassion - AND also being honest with myself that travel is hands down what has lit and stirred my soul since I was young. There are reasons I was always drawn to moving away from Pittsburgh and then traveling and then living abroad.
My soul’s contract includes the growth, lessons, opportunities and so much more that truly have only been available from me placing myself out of my comfort zone in foreign countries. Literally. And being able to see and know this so deeply within, and also that I’m still on this journey (well I’ll always be in some way - but I am actively seeking ‘stability’ in the form of a town to call home (near the sea!) with community, walkability and connections.
I truly believe this combination of swimming in the sea and exploring foreign lands ignited and stirred my soul - to also address some things I had been avoiding.
As we neared the end of the vacation, feeling realized, recharged and also a new energy that I hadn’t felt in a long time, I got curious and leaned into what was bubbling up inside. I knew it was time to confront myself.
Admittedly, I knew deep down (since earlier this year), that I need to make some shifts and changes. The truth is that I had been dancing around for most of this year, maybe longer, that there was a lot that was no longer working or serving me in my life. Specifically, giving energy to endeavors, job tasks, and also giving energy to circumstances that were out of my control. I admitted that I was not operating a business that sparked JOY or lit me up. I was spending a lot of energy flailing and having resistance to marketing and more. I was not in alignment.
With the acknowledgement and also committing to myself that we were ready to embark on new ventures, I felt like a massive weight was lifted. The ease and peace that followed affirmed I was on the right path. I honestly felt so stuck more often than not and or like I would start off but then putter out.
The past 2 months have proven to me how imperative it is as an entrepreneur to be creating, building, and operating businesses from an aligned place. While its been a wild journey (my next blog will share more), I am more clear and confident and filled with so much JOY to be working in the travel industry as a travel advisor with FORA (peep my profile here) AND building several offerings that blend travel, transformation and wellness together.
While there is much to do as I carve out multiple new paths, I know for absolute certain that I am now in alignment and able to create what will hopefully help and benefit others in all the magical ways that are possible.
I will share soon this intimate experience and journey - why? Several reasons: 1. Making changes, navigating life and transitions and learning to listen to ourselves and hear the internal wisdom needs to be talked about more; 2. I want others to have support, tools and to know they are not alone; 3. Being in alignment is an absolute in life and a non-negotiable going forward. So I hope this may have sparked something within, whether its to take the trip, swim in the sea at every opportunity or confront the thing that will require changes - trusting yourself.
And for Mum and I? There were no real time shifts in our relationship… and that is OK! Sometimes the shifts come after the journey and trip- also unexpectedly;)
stay tuned….
Much love and joy,
Megan
xoxo
HOW I NAVIGATED THE WAVES OF THIS EXPERIENCE
Tools I used
Journaling - always a go to
Affirmations
Allowing myself to dream and envision what I want and most importantly how I want to FEEL
Allowed myself to just simply ‘BE’ - to lounge and watch the islands as we sailed, to nap and read chick lit (something I infrequently do)
I maximized my mermaid time spending as much time as possible in the sea! Often the last (or in the last group) to get called in before setting sail, I feel very supported in water. Especially when it was relatively calm like where we stopped.
Tapping into seeing and feeling this unique experience - where I was the only one in the sea or there were just a few of us…which soothed the soul and stimulated the senses. My nervous system was soothed as well.
Gratitude for the experience and being take care of for almost all the trip - something I had never had and as much as I love planning, I enjoyed being taken care of.
