santa-teresa-3-of-8Every day  purple flowers.

As a child I was enamoured with magical places to be found in the natural world. Imagination was never a favourite game, I was always seeking exquisite landscape. My dreams were of oceans and mountains and floating on top of the clouds amongst rainbows. Escapism was the forest. My earliest memory of being truly happy and at peace was laying in a field of daisies by myself in Maine.

Offering an opportunity to have my own sacred space, my parents let me create a “secret garden” behind a playhouse in our backyard. Supporting my efforts my mom called some of her friends who allowed me to trim cuttings from their gardens to take to mine. The secret garden started off being all purple, I wanted to have a special purple place to feel magic every summer day. My mom surprised me one day with a concrete bench to lay on in this place. For my 11th birthday, years after the garden was blooming, my father crafted me an arched wooden gate to enter my magic land. By that time, the garden had cycles: in early June it would be yellow, by late June the pink flowers; foxglove, mini roses, would come up and by July, full bloom, everything was purple.

Now I spend much of the year in Costa Rica and I hadn’t gardened since my secret garden. But on the property I rent I was given permission to. So I planted trees, birds of paradise, coconut palms, red leafy things, all scavenged and clipped from the jungle. Everything comes from something and somewhere else, a sort of symbiotic honor system. When I first arrived on this property, it was practically a desert. 1 year later, I live in an enchanting jungle land.

[FinalTilesGallery id=’4′]

I grew up in the city. I never expected to move to a town with just 1 dirt road. I never thought I’d leave a beautiful apartment in Montreal with a view of the city and expansive closet space for a shipping container on a small mound of dirt. It happened organically, naturally. Slowly and perfectly and I have found home. It has been a year since moving to this space. I’ve drawn pathways and moved rocks, shovelled dirt and planted trees. My blood and sweat have literally poured into this space and sometimes I even cry tears of joy that today, this is my reality.

Inside, I decided I wanted the place to feel light, airy, cozy, almost ethereal. It has little bits of me and love from friends and reminders to stay joyful. The indoor colour scheme would be white and gold. I  painted the “live simply” sign to remind myself every day to keep it simple: say less. Be kind. Seek happiness. Look for the good. Have less stuff.

I painted the moon phases because my body here is so in sync with the moon. It was in this place that I truly discovered my connection to femininity, to my sense of being a woman and to how it truly feels to share sacred spaces with other divine ladies. It was here that I also discovered how connected we each are to the natural world and how our bodies ebb and flow with our outside environment.

The big dream catcher was a stunning gift from my friend Madi. She always reminds me to relax, to keep chasing dreams and not to let emotions get the better of me. The little one, from Canada an ode to where I come from. Add some favourite books, twinkly lights, travel scrabble and truly I’ve created my own little haven.

[FinalTilesGallery id=’5′]

If any of you are planning a trip out here, there’s a similar container on Airbnb that I manage.

I have embraced a far simpler life with many less things but way more nature. I walk on the beach every day as part of my morning ritual. I meditate on rocks and snuggle my dog in the hammock on the porch. I eat beans and rice more days than not.

I never planned for it but I guess I have been moving toward this life all my life. It feels expansive. It feels like evolution of my spirit and mostly, it feels like home.
I realized, there are some easy ways to make any place feel like home.
how to create a dream home even in a tiny homeHow to create a dream home even in a tiny home
  1. Keep it simple: It doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. A few choice items that are special or meaningful to you in some way will make you feel more at home. They will remind you of why the space is so cozy
  2. Less is more: Didn’t I just say keep it simple? It goes beyond just stuff. Have less, keep un uncluttered space. You don’t need to be a minimalist but please, don’t be a maximalist either.
  3. Make the outside as beautiful as the inside. If you have an outdoor space, take care of it. It is an extension of your home. Make the outside part of the inner workings of the space. If you don’t have an outdoor area, jazz up your front door or welcome mat. Something as simple as a wreath or a nice mat will make your place really feel like your own
  4. Invest in GOOD sheets. We sleep every night on our sheets. EVERY NIGHT. If you’re going to invest anywhere, invest in a peaceful night’s rest. Your bed should be an inviting, comfy and happy space. Choose pillows and a duvet you love. This is the place to splurge. Make sure to get quality sheets that make you feel happy and safe every time you tuck yourself in.
  5. Create rituals and special spaces. Creating special habits or specific places for specific activities will help you really make use of your space, however big or small it might be. One thing that helps me feel at home in 200sq feet is having designated spaces. For example, a daybed to watch movies, I made it out of palettes! I ONLY eat in the kitchen (also because of bug factor). The bed is ONLY for sleeping and loving. No food, no work, no phones in bed. I keep flowers on my desk at all times.

It’s these little bits that make my space really feel like my home. It didn’t take much, just love and some thought. One thing hasn’t changed though since I was that hopeful 8-year-old, purple is still my favourite.  So I planted forget-me-nots all along the path to my house. Every morning they bloom so saturated that it is almost hard to look at them and by afternoon the colour fades slightly and they fall.

The flowers, like so much about life down here,  are a reminder of impermanence, an ode to appreciating the here and now. But most importantly, they feel to me like magic because now at home, every day, there are purple flowers.

[FinalTilesGallery id=’6′]

 

One Response

Try my handstand course for free!

Turn your life upside down!

Please register for your class:

Try my handstand course for free!

Turn your life upside down!