It Could Have Been Different. . . (a story in pictures)

It could have been different. I could have stayed in that cozy apartment in the hills of beautiful Ashland, Oregon, spending quiet days working and staring out the window of my living room office, watching the deer go by... (I LOVED that place).

I could have listened to the voice in my head that was convinced I would never make it out of the country and be able to live my dream (the business just wouldn't support it!).

I could have waited until the time was right, and spent years trying to save a bunch of money and pay off my debts so I wouldn't be stuck in a foreign land without a pot to piss in. (Let's just say it hasn't been all gravy all the time.)

I could have waited until I was really ready and all the pieces were in place to release my life's biggest project to the world (yep, just did that, it's called THE FIRE OF LOVE EXPERIENCE).

But...I didn't.

And now I'm here. And so far I've made it through hell and high water for the six months I envisioned for this journey, and it feels like I've lived more in these six months than all my life.

And by the Grace I'm Alive, and yes, came close to death once and probably a dozen times I'm not aware of (keeping my guardian angels working over time -- thank you always, angels).

When I think of my life these days, and how much I want to share this love and these blessings with you it makes my spirit tremble.

I'm pretty sure I've cried more these past few months than in my whole life. Mostly I'm moved so strongly in my soul and filled with a sense of overwhelming love and emotion, so the tears just come.

Here is what I'm looking at right now and most days as I work -- right across the street from my desk in the little common room next to the hotel balcony:

I love the colors -- so classic. On the balcony just to the right is a nice view of the sea, so I'm good here for now.

Until about a week ago I was staying in a tiny beach town called Montezuma for five weeks. I experimented with hiding out to see how it would affect my work, and didn't tell anyone but my family where I was. I had a lovely view of the ocean from the terrace where I worked every day, and it really supported my work (plus there was a nice communal kitchen). The hotel family sort of adopted me and fed me rice and beans every day -- that was a blessing.

I was in this adorable tiny room with a big bed, and the storms would come sometimes at night and pound down on the roof. At some point I started to feel like I was somehow disappearing from the world, and I wasn't sure I'd make it! That lasted a few days and was pretty scary until I broke through the darkness... just a little TOO isolated out there on the edge of nowhere.

My beloved beach, just about 50 meters from the hotel in Montezuma...

One night about a week-and-a-half ago the storms came so bad all night the power was knocked out in the whole region, and the internet too...(oy-vay!)

I was getting ready for the mini-council that was coming up on the weekend, and so much around preparing for the bigger project, so I couldn't wait around for things to get fixed. That night I only slept a few hours, but I still packed up everything in the morning and bought a ticket for the 9:30AM boat out of town. That was a relief!

Dolphins and whales swam right next to us on the speedboat, and tears of joy came at the depth of richness opening in my life....

After an amazing ride I landed in a town called Quepos near a popular national park reserve, Manuel Antonio, midway down the pacific coast.

I ended up at a really crummy hostel that came highly recommended by the shuttle driver, and the internet was barely functioning there either (of course). I was seriously concerned I wouldn't be able to find an affordable place to stay with good wi-fi AND a kitchen, but my wondrous friend Ashley saved the day and hooked me up with some contacts and super valuable info -- turns out she's been coming since she was 19 and just randomly saw my Facebook post!

I was happy to find Hotel Ramu's, which is nice and also reasonable, and I've managed to eat pretty well despite only having a fridge and a plate, knife and spoon! (Thanks GOD there's a great central market and a bunch of good places to eat here, including a real bakery and a coffee roaster).

Waiting for my Sopa de Pescado at the central market!

It's been a crazy couple weeks -- I've been working really hard, sleeping not enough, and weathering the storm. There are huge thunderstoms almost every day now as we approach the full rainy season, and sometimes I've felt like a young fisherman boy huddled in his little hut on the edge of the world.

Sometimes when you're launching your life's work it feels like you're taking stabs in the dark. My biggest fear is that it falls on deaf ears, nobody cares, and people see me like one of those annoying people who are pushing crap on them they don't want (that's the scariest thought of all!)

I face the fears, and I breathe them in, and I see the fear for what it is. It's only ever as real as you make it out to be.

Emotions have been raging wild like the sea just outside my door. But more often than not lately I've been feeling pretty calm...

That's also why I'm so glad to be doing this Fire of Love project -- so there can be a safe place for people to support each other in honing our mission, releasing our work, giving each other feedback, and guiding each other through the dark spots.

I've been out here on the edges of my journey finding a better life, and a new way of life, for six months now. If I could encapsulate this entire journey into one sentence I would, but I don't think that's possible.

I'd say the closest I could come is this: Live the truth of who you are, and don't be afraid -- there is nothing more beautiful then being fully alive with love.

I chose this life for myself, and it's a beautiful life (but most importantly it's my own, and I make the rules!!!).

It could have been different, but I don't want to die with regrets so I took a giant leap and followed the calling of my spirit.

It could have been different, but then I wouldn't have this story and this work to share with you...

What great adventure is your spirit calling you to embark upon -- and more important, are you picking up the phone or letting it go to voicemail?!

Love,

On Friday I opened THE FIRE OF LOVE EXPERIENCE, my most ambitious and exciting project to date: To ignite our spirits with passion and excitement, find and create our great life’s work and live a hot-damn beautiful life!

If you're on the fence or have any question at all about if this project is for you, just let me know so I have an opportunity to respond for you.

Please share this project with your friends -- you can use the awesome little share buttons at the bottom of the Fire of Love Experience overview page. 

Here's a tweet you can copy and paste:

An invitation to join the journey of a lifetime: The Fire of Love Experience http://satyacolombo.com/the-fire-of-love-experience/ via @satyacolombo {click here to tweet this now}

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Thank you so much for your love and support in these beautiful and crazy times!! - xo