I have boundaries, Dammit! How a Misspelled Tattoo Sparked an Identity Crisis—and a Sojourn toward Self-Love
“I know what I’ll do today—I’ll get a tattoo!” I thought, watching the sunrise from my floor-to-ceiling window of the luxurious $22-a-night Airbnb in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, sprawled across a plush king-sized bed. It was a stark contrast to the thatched jungle hut where I had just spent ten days in the Amazon jungle, immersed in my first Ayahuasca retreat, where I was “re-born” fasting from salt, sugar, and distractions. Through four powerful ceremonies, I labored through the physical pain from a lifetime of soul wounds, or some might say, my traumas. The last time I made an impulsive decision to get a tattoo was 16 years ago in New…
Surrender
I I have a message for you Her strong hands Know stuck parts My estranged bones yearn to melt into my soul A primal desire trapped deep in my hips Surviving in fear and disappointment Aching to be free Her strong hands offer permission To become unstuck I weep for fear of freedom A rush of love charges through my veins Mom, are you here? Surrender, she whispers Written in February 2025 after a powerful massage with a witchy healer in Montañita, Ecuador at Casa Del Sol
Finding Safety in Stillness
A moment of stillness amidst the symphony of the jungle—I let the hum of insects and distant bird calls wash over me. The air, thick yet pure, carried a sense of safety I hadn’t realized I was yearning for—a quiet reassurance that, in this moment, I was exactly where I was meant to be. Overhead, the sky unraveled in a slow, mesmerizing dance of pinks, oranges, and purples as the sun melted into the horizon. Gratitude settled over me—a quiet, grounding peace in the midst of surrender. As I traveled in search of myself, my purpose, I found something unexpected: stillness. A feeling I couldn’t name, wrapped in the bittersweet…
The Girl in the Strawberry Field
On a hot, sticky day to work I went. Picking strawberries with my new white dress. I was getting hungry so I decided to eat some strawberries. Yum! They’re sweet and juicy. Oh no, I squirted some on my dress. I am getting sunburned. The money I will make will have to go to suntan lotion. My children are probably screaming for me. Only three more hours left. “This job is too tiring,” I said as I fell to my knees. Church tomorrow… what will I wear? My dress is stained and torn My boots are not white but brown. My knees are shaking and I am sunburned and I…
