Nomadic in Portugal

Bom Dia my dear friends,

Well, 2021 for me seems to have not that many blog posts.

Since my last one couple of months have passed and the intensity I have been talking about have followed me for a little bit.

I am still in Portugal and I am still alive. I am still enjoying my nomadic lifestyle and I am still in love with life.

These past months have been beautiful. I spent 2 months volunteering at the Quinta Alma, ecological glamping/camping place with many beautiful volunteers and an amazing green lush hills around.

I made good friends and fell in love. Or should I say, I rose in love as falling in love sounds too much like loosing yourself.

The time went fast, and it was filled with fun, lots of cooking, some oiling and painting, lake swimming, impro singing/jamming and many other activities that one can create. My new friends let me feel loved and cared for. Some dinner parties, crazy Hugo’s b-day party, beach days made me so happy and content.

And then the time has come to close those doors and continue new adventures. I moved towards South of Lisbon and the Universe brought me a job opportunity as a private vegan cook which at the moment I am actually doing.

Few days ago, while talking to Kristina, I have realised something that I always like to mention in my my blogs.

For these past many years, I have been sharing some adventures with you, sometimes very vaguely, sometimes funny and sometimes very personal. I have indeed many times wanted to stop all this as I believed that it is really a little bit like showing off without knowing. But from time to time I would receive the most beautiful and encouraging messages from some of you that my writing or the way I see the life have inspired some of you. And to hear that, is a complete joy. So I continued writing.

However though, I wanted to tell you that this life I lead, this adventurous spontaneous lifestyle is not always like tinted glasses.

Many people often tell me that they would love to have such freedom, they would love to travel as much as I do but I think only few realise that this kind of life also requires some sacrifices. You are constantly saying hello and good bye, and some goodbyes are fucking painful. You are never sure when will your next income gonna be and what kind of job you’ll have next. You stop seeing your friends growing as it is nearly impossible to keep a close contact with all your loved ones. And you have to leave behind all the sentimental and personal belongings as your one and old backpack is just too small to get everything in. Relationships are seldom and mostly you live off the platonic romances…

BUT! Life becomes like a surprise box. You are constantly travelling through change. You learn that life is just one constant change. You notice small things and start to appreciate the most common commodities you take every day for granted. Life becomes full of new conversations, ideas, colours and smells. You learn things you would have never thought you’d be capable of doing. You live in the spontaneous existence with an open heart.

Of course, you don’t need to travel to feel free or to look straight into your fears eyes but to me, travelling is one of the most beautiful tools to help me grow and become the person I am today.

So I guess my sharing of today is to inspire you to do the things that makes you grow and makes your heart sing. And it doesn't need to be travelling if you don't truly feel it. 

I love you all and send you big kiss from Portugal

Good night my dear ones,

With much love

Ligita

beautiful nature

loving the push ups

Quinta Alma

cats love

I found a flower between the flowers <3

my office

sushi time

Hugo's bday

Cute Mago

Becca and Rafa

creamy courgettes with quinoa and black bean balls

temascal

summer is coming!

preparation

apple slices with berries and peanut butter

my portuguese lovers <3

at Quinta

no bake granola bars

jammin'

panang curry with soy seitan and marinated cucumbers

love is in the air

creamy mushroom spaghetti with asparagus and sugar snap beans

another mandala on the wall

Hugo's party

lazy campers

overnight chia pudding

amazing earrings from Columbia, thanks Kerys!

my new fav cat Dj Jimbo

Intensity Kicks In

 Ola!

Well, it’s been a while since I sat down and contemplated things on the computer screen. During these past months I am not using the internet that much hence why I appear here rarely.

My New Year have started with a boom. Or an explosion of feelings.

On the last day of 2020 I have found myself in a party, full of travellers and high spirits. It was an incredible feeling to be celebrating after a such long hibernation mood. It was so inspiring to see people still living their truths no matter what is happening around. I felt so high on life, so happy. I love spontaneous celebrations and this feeling of meeting new people, of hearing new stories is one of the reason why after 11 years of travelling I am still on the road.

And for the next 2 weeks I found myself ‘locked in’ at the amazing hostel, a converted old villa right at the beach with a beautiful sea view. The weather spoiled us all. January has always been a problematic one for me, but this time I was one of the happiest.

I finally started to practise long wanted open relationship with few partners and explored my insecurities, jealousies and wilderness.

With new friends, lots of fun and Julien’s accident in the sea I made a new plan and left Greece.

It felt emotional, in the end I stayed around 7 months in that land of Gods, I connected a lot with this beautiful chaotic land.

For the past 3-4 weeks I have been in Portugal. And if I thought that my first 2 weeks in January have been intense, well, I had to change my opinion again. I started to dig deeper into Tantra and explore what does it mean the love with no attachment (a difficult one!). Thing after a thing and I found myself drinking the plant medicine in one of the ceremonies around here. And that was intense, beautiful, deep and actually quite blissful. Many insights that were inside me anyway, were assured to me. I felt an incredible connection and gratitude, towards everyone and everything.

And then some bad news, a death of my father. That one kicked my ass. It shook everything what was inside me and made me lose some of my painted identities. I revisited my childhood lots of times. I prayed for my dad’s soul, to be liberated and free. I prayed for the ones, that are still here in their bodies, for their suffering and loneliness. I cried for myself too, I let that little girl inside me to be held and rocked all night long. I expressed myself in writing and had long deep conversations with Julien.

And then, after 3 weeks of clouds and rain, the sun have arrived. The beautiful blue sky and ocean, caressing my soul washed a lot of things away. I felt so good. But the intensity is still here. And in these past 2 months I have grown a lot.

And please, don’t take this post as a sorry call. It’s just much more personal update than normally. I am very fine. And I understand that everything in life is ups and downs, rest and celebration, happiness and sadness, light and darkness. And for the end, I would like to share something I read today by Mooji:

‘’Life doesn’t owe you anything. If you take this attitude then you are grateful for everything. What have you done to deserve 30 years of fresh oxygen? What has anyone done to have a heart that is beating even while one is asleep? What have you done to deserve anything at all and who are you even? If you contemplate these things deeply you would not be arrogant and you would not suffer. You would value life in all its expressions.’’

 

With much love,

Stay strong my friends <3

Matching

Beautiful Evia, Greece

View from the hostel

Sunny Lisboa

Salema, Portugal

I love our hut!

Powerful Ocean

In Tune with a Season

 Yassas dear friends and family,

The end of November has been a little tough for me. I felt a lot of anger, frustration and hopelessness. I was fed up with lies, new conspiracy theories, control, division and general bullshit. I felt scared and paranoid about the future. Nothing made sense anymore and I lost my ground.

In this kind of situation my first reaction was to flight. I started looking for different projects, volunteering opportunities, one day I was checking flight tickets to Bali, next day to Mexico, next to Morocco and so on. My mind was going crazy. I felt like I wanted to run away. But where to?

Here I was in Greece. In Evia island, with beautiful friends and family, cooking nutritious food, walking beautiful dogs, working in a garden, meditating, doing yoga together and I was still so restless?! I felt so spoiled and angry with myself that I am not appreciative enough. But what one can do with a mind full of fear and paranoia.

And then December came. And somehow, for the first time I felt in tune with stillness. Everything calmed down. Life slowed down. I stopped running. And the fear and paranoia disappeared. My hope for future, for beautiful future was back. I ditched those dark thoughts and started enjoying the moment. Day by day.

The nature was my teacher. A beautiful and still sea was inspiring me. I started feeling grateful for the moment to reflect and dive inwards, for such generous friends letting me stay for free, giving me food and their wonderful company. And you know what? When you stop worrying, you create space inside your head. And in that space, solutions are born, and Universe starts sending you opportunities.

And one wonderful and very special opportunity just came to me by chance. I’ll tell you more next month. Just one spoiler- I am going to my beloved Sevilla.

This year for me has been so full of lessons. I am feeling so so lucky with my still very very privileged and free life. I have met beautiful souls, created fantastic memories, played and cried, laughed and danced, swam naked in the moonlight and digged deeper inside.

Don’t let those controlling freaks at the top of the pyramid to infect your lives with lies. Live your truth and continue doing things you love, creating beauty in this world. Life will always stay as a gift, remember that!

With much love and hope,

Ligita