Category: Colombia

Posted in Colombia, Colombian life, Uncategorized

Forest Bathing

Posted on by hummingsfromparadise

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/descend/

I have found since moving to Colombia I have gotten better at embracing the present moment.  I don’t spend much time in my mind,  I spend it looking at what is in front of me each day. When I start my hikes I am always in the present time.  This is why I recommend for everyone to hike in the forest, or park, anywhere there are trees, birds and nature.

So as I descend I stop and enjoy every moment. It can be goats milk being sold. It could be just a view of the mountains as the fog descends for just a second. Maybe my path that I walk. It brings me peace. I descend slowly. I stop and I meditate at my favorite river. I sit for a while and think of things that are bothering me. We can all do this, whether you live in the forest like me, or in the city. JUST stop for a few minutes and reflect. Ask the Universe for what you need. Let go of the pain you feel. I feel pain every single day, I let it go on my hikes. It works. I know this as I live my life in the present moment.

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Two birds fighting over a post
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I won!
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In a second the climate changes on my hikes
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My path descending
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The river I meditate at descending in one direction
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A little bit of fungi at the river
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My favorite neighbor

All I know is this: I feel better after I walk. Just do it. Don’t procrastinate and turn on the TV. I hardly ever watch television during the day. I do outdoor things, I write, I study Spanish, or I just read. Don’t let yourself descend into a path of depression. It is very easy to do. Even when I don’t sleep well, I make myself get out and look at what surrounds me in Colombia. I then come home and I feel better. You will too.

 

 

Posted in Alternative Lifestyle, Colombia, Colombian life, expat life, photo challenge, Uncategorized

What Will be my Heritage to this World?

Posted on by hummingsfromparadise

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/heritage/

So often I fret about what will be my lasting impression on this world we all share and live in. My last blog was about reflections on motherhood and other things, and now I write about heritage, my legacy in life. What will I leave to others? I need to be honest, I don’t know. Maybe I will be like a painter who becomes famous for their artwork later in life. I certainly have taken chances in life. I have so much to say in my photos and words. But  I can’t share many things on my blog. I will in my book someday: if I actually ever finish it. When you start to write and realize you really have to expose yourself, it is hard to tell of our mistakes of which I have many.

I Feel it Coming, I am so ready to share my words of life as I know it. My heritage, my life. It seems that so many do these days. We all have blogs, we all have a life. But do we actually share honestly? I will try to do that. I really need to do this, for all of you who follow me. I was never perfect. I was never the best mom there was. I was a pretty good mom though. I was all in with my children. So why do some parents have great children and some don’t? I have come to the conclusion that I did the best I could with the man I was married to, and he has to accept he is part of the problem that existed. Especially, when he tortured me when my daughter was murdered. Yes, he did horrible things to me that I am sure he still thinks about, along with his sister.

That being said, I will say my heritage will be Colombia. I love it here. I have days when I am sad, I have days when I am super happy. I have days. The end. Here are some photos of my life and my hikes. The hikes make me happy. Better than any words of comfort that anyone can send me. I live my life, I love my life, I just do what I need to do to survive after my daughter was murdered.

Saturday Moto drive 030
this is the monument in my pueblo to Aliens!
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A typical tienda …angry corner store
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JAJA a disco
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The sugarcane train
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Just a horse on the side of the road
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The Chiva…a bus that takes everything
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The Ani Bird
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The falcon Caracara
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Bamboo forest
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a seed pod
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The rivers here
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a dam

 

 

Posted in Alternative Lifestyle, child death, Children of deceased parents, Colombia, Colombian life, friendship, nature, Perfection and Peace, photo challenge, Spiritual Presence

Reflections on Motherhood and Other Things

Posted on by hummingsfromparadise

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/reflecting/

Mother’s Day is coming this weekend. I have a hard time with this day. I spend the day reflecting on the past with my children. One who is deceased the other who doesn’t really have a lot of contact with me. It makes me think what could I have done differently? I was the Mom who was always involved with their activities. But then I took care of my own mother for years who had dementia. It took a great tole on me and my children. I  now think should I have kept my mother in my home? Should I have divorced sooner than later? I don’t know. But I love my memories of happy times in their lives and all the happiness they grew up with. That just left when I decided to divorce and then my daughter was murdered.

Misha and I with Marley
One year to the day my daughter was killed.

I reflect on this photo, and realize Misha was a reflection of me, she looked like me and was very headstrong like me. I treasure this photo. I could beat myself up over and over again because I might have changed something in our lives and maybe she would still be here. But as I grow older and I meditate daily with Yoga, I realize we all have free will. We cannot change the path of our destiny, because we can’t control others, just ourselves. Most people do not want to change, and they will never do it. Me, well I wanted change after this horrible time in my life and I have become a different person. The problems in our lives are often brought on by thinking too much and worrying too much. Once we let go, we find a solution. Maybe not immediately, maybe not for a few years, but the solution is there. We just need to look for it and we need to accept that people come and go in our lives. Even our own children.

I have discovered while living in Colombia I do not live a life full of plans. Plans here are often disrupted with the littlest things. A battery has died in the car, and you need to wait for the local mechanic to come and give you a jump, the weather changes and that walk you planned on is now going to be later in the afternoon, the party you have at 3 in the afternoon with friends turns into an all night dance fest. Or it is a beautiful day and you take off in the truck to visit a place that is beautiful, remote and in the middle of the Rainforest. jungle-fever-and-buena-ventura-073jungle-fever-and-buena-ventura-096

Reflections in life are usually in the moment, not in memory. I have discovered this in my time as an expat in Colombia. I reflect often, but usually I reflect on how I can make my life better, to improve, not to waste time on mistakes or others who contributed to those mistakes. It is all about being the best person you can be. I reflect on that often. I know I am not there yet. But I will be before I die. At least I will die trying.

 

 

Posted in Alternative Lifestyle, Colombia, Colombian life, expat life, nature, Perfection and Peace, photo challenge, Uncategorized

Danger! Look Closely. You Might Miss It.

Posted on by hummingsfromparadise

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/danger/

What are the dangerous things I encounter living in Colombia? What to do if a cow escapes the fence? Or a goat approaches me while I hike? What should I do when the water is so high in the rivers? Or the rain causes a mudslide? Maybe I should really be scared when the ground shakes at 5AM! That is the most danger I encounter in Colombia. I love my simple life. I love it so much I am willing to risk the only real danger I have ever experienced while living in Colombia, tremors from Earthquakes deep inside the Earth. To be honest, I don’t know an Earthquake has happened until it is over. I guess if it was really bad, I would be crushed because it takes me, this woman from Florida awhile to comprehend. By the time I do if it was bad, I would be dead. I would die happy in my paradise.

Hike photos 003
Looking down from the road at the river
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The river from above
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A dangerous goat LOL
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The expression of the cow on the right
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Such a dangerous butterfly in Colombia

 

Posted in Alternative Lifestyle, animal rights, Colombia, Colombian life, Color and Colombia, expat life, minimalism, nature, Nature Symbolism, Perfection and Peace, Uncategorized

An Avid Photographer of Nature

Posted on by hummingsfromparadise
Out and about at VM 003
Chacalaca bird in bamboo tree
Out and about at VM 005
A river on my hikes
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One simple butterfly
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a cow
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who is very comfortable with me
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One lone piece of bamboo

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/avid/

I am always hiking near my Villa . I can’t give an exact amount of days per week. It depends on my hair. Yes it does. I am after all still a woman who likes my hair and nails to be  perfect, even if I live in the Rainforest. Yes, I am revealing something about myself. I usually walk on days I have to wash my hair. OH, so you think why do we need to know this? Because you do. I live in the forest. I am not always interacting with others. I like being alone. I like reading, I love writing and I love my space. I really love being alone. I worked for years as a flight attendant. I don’t care if I hear a bunch of people complaining ever again!

“Worry less about what you want to be, and more about what you want to do.” – President Barack Obama in Chicago today. I love this quote because it describes me and my life to perfection. I want to be successful in my small business. But if I am not I can accept that. I want to be immersed in nature as an avid  photographer. I love getting up early and going out on my own with one of my dogs to walk and photograph the beauty that surrounds me. Photography is part of me. I am part of the photos I take on my hikes. I see people and talk to them. There is no such thing as a Colombian who ignores someone they pass, whether in an office, or on the street. Even if they dislike you they acknowledge you. I find that a wonderful way to live. What is the use of hurting others? With that I share some photos of my life around and about as an avid photographer and the life I lead as an expat.

Posted in animal rights, Colombia, Colombian life, Color and Colombia, expat life, nature, Nature Symbolism, photo challenge, Uncategorized

Earth Day

Posted on by hummingsfromparadise

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/earth-2017/

Earth day is April 22, a favorite day to me. The Earth is substantially more than just us humans. It is every little creature that surrounds us to bring our ecosystem in sync. Look at my cover photo carefully. You will see the tiniest little waspDucklings and wierd catapiller 026Ducklings and wierd catapiller 037birds and ducks 002birds and ducks 015Horse riders and walk 002Horse riders and walk 007.

Ducklings and wierd catapiller 021
The arrow points out the tiny wasp on the Canna Lily

Without bees, wasps and all insects we would not have flowers. We would not have pollination, we would not be alive on Earth. So when any of us use products from Monsanto, or any poisons we are killing the Earth. We are destroying the planet for future generations. These little insects that bother us are very important links to the salvation of  the Earth. They are an important part of the chain of events that allow us to live on the planet Earth with water, air and food.

So when I take my photos of nature I always keep in mind that all of nature is intertwined. We humans are not superior to any animal or plant that lives in this Universe. Remember that when you see the ice melting, the water being polluted, and the fish dying in the oceans. We humans are the murderers. We are killing this planet with greed to make money. We are the ones who can stop this before it is too late.

 

 

Posted in Alternative Lifestyle, Colombia, Colombian life, expat life, minimalism, nature, Perfection and Peace, photo challenge, Uncategorized

It is just my life I am secure in.

Posted on by hummingsfromparadise

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/security/

 

Awaking to the sound of birds, falling asleep to the sounds of  frogs and crickets. The cool breeze that comes through my window while I write in my office. The sway of the leaves of the banana trees. The sun that is an orb of fire as it sets over the valley. The fog that comes up suddenly over the mountains. A high-pitched wail that I hear every evening around 6 pm coming from the mountains surrounding my Villa.  Like clockwork I hear the shriek of some bird or animal calling the day to a close. Comfort like a warm blanket over me when I am snuggled in bed, secure in the knowledge a new day will come in the morning with new adventures to discover. Where I see horses grazing, livestock who are so friendly they follow me on my hikes. The sound of a rushing river, and a random butterfly who finds itself trapped in a window at my home. The little church I own here in my pueblo, having a mass where the dogs participate also. This is my life in Colombia. I am secure in the knowledge that I have found my paradise. As I hike and look up to the clouds the sun is shining on me with an embrace I can feel in my soul.

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Rainforest frog
Pure nature

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Posted in Alternative Lifestyle, ambiance, Colombia, Colombian life, expat life, minimalism, nature, Nature Symbolism, Perfection and Peace, photo challenge, Uncategorized

It’s a Jungle out there!

Posted on by hummingsfromparadise
Out and about on the Rainforest hike 026
Trees growing high into the sky while the forest is the backdrop
Out and about on the Rainforest hike 008
Clouds descend upon my mountains surrounding Villa Migelita
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The condensed look of one sweet horse on a hike
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Foliage captures the sun as a Chachalaca hides in the trees
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A butterfly sunning on leaves in the forest
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The capture of an intense rainstorm coming towards Villa Migelita
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The sounds of silence of the forest captured in this one photo

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/dense/

Living in the forest makes for wonderful photo opportunities. The jungle is real in Colombia. The forest is dense, the trees seem impenetrable, the cloud cover comes and goes as I hike. A close-knit Eco-system of  beauty that has to be seen in person to take in the three-dimensional quality. A step inside a real life painting. That is how I live. I am constantly amazed by the views I see when taking my tourists and adventurers out on hikes. It is like a Disney movie in 3D. Here are a few photos I have captured while on my hikes around Villa Migelita  . They will never capture the beauty you can see when visiting Colombia, but hopefully you will be able to see how dense the forest is, how the clouds descend upon the mountains, and how I embrace my minimalist life. Nothing can compare to what I feel when I wander the mountains near my home and Bed and Breakfast Villa Migelita.   I sense freedom from the hectic lifestyle of the Western world, I feel empowered as a woman who moved to a new country and often want to shout to the sky,”Look at what I have done! Look at how I live! Just look at this substantial life I have made for myself!” This is a tiny semblance of how I am touched when I roam the mountains  near my Villa.  Remember this: I spent many years wasting money on things that are not important to a meaningful life. Now I spend my time instead of money on things that are important: my quality of life and my love of nature. I just want to live surrounded by the clouds, trees, birds, butterflies, and the calling of nature to my soul.

Posted in Alternative Lifestyle, Colombia, Colombian life, Color and Colombia, expat life, photo challenge, Uncategorized

Green is more than a color, it represents life in Colombia

Posted on by hummingsfromparadise

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/it-is-easy-being-green/

I often go on hikes in the forest near my Villa. When I lived in the USA  fast walks were part of my weekly exercise routine, but I can’t really say that is what I do here in Colombia. Walking in the forest consists of numerous stops just to take in the beauty I am encased in. Just recently while walking through dense forest I observed a woodpecker hammering a bamboo tree, a group of parrots took off when they saw me, then I watched as a beautiful hawk glided past me searching the green terrain for food. Babbling streams lift my spirit with the sounds of the rushing water, while I also take in the calls of all the birds in the surrounding foliage. Many I can’t see but know they are watching me on my silent journey in their jungle.

Studies show that living in nature and having access to the beauty of green views can do more for our stress level than any pill that can be prescribed. Light, sunshine, sounds, and the air of the outdoors can bring joy and peace to any person.

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I just missed the woodpecker on this bamboo
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The mountains around my Villa
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The green and blue of the Barranquero bird
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Even workers in the field have lush beauty surrounding them
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My gardens at Villa Migelita
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Even the street art is green and lush
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Rainbow over lush landscape

 

 

Posted in Alternative Lifestyle, Colombia, Colombian life, expat life, nature, Perfection and Peace, Uncategorized

4Ever59

Posted on by hummingsfromparadise
Me in my 20’s
Me at 53
Me at 54
Age 54
55!
55!
56!
57!

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/wish/

As we age we grow wiser. We become a certain age and (maybe) we think  “I wish I could stay this age forever.” That is how I feel about my upcoming birthday. I want to stay 59 forever. Wisdom is my middle name. I am no longer the young, beautiful girl I was when I was hired by Delta at the age of 20 years old.. But; I am also not an old-looking person either. I have a bit of vanity left in this older body. I exercise and I take care of myself. I have always said to anyone who listens “I want to look the best I can be at whatever age I am.” I also want to be the BEST I CAN BE with humanity and what I pass on to my many social media pages. I want to share good things, but I also want to show the person I am inside, not just on the outside. We cannot change the aging process. We can try, and I certainly do! But we are going to be old sooner than we think.

All of my longtime friends will attest to my crazy disco self in the 80’s. I am sure they could tell so many stories of my life and the fun we had. Now (as an older person)I am not so much about fun, but about peace. I love peace and nature. I awake in the morning to hear the sounds of nature I brought to my life by my move to Colombia. I love the noise, the calls, and the happiness of my life. I don’t like the way I feel about my country the USA right now. It is not what I grew up to respect and want for my place of birth.

However, I can call all of you to visit Colombia and me and see what I have accomplished in my “older” age. I have shown many who doubted me what a woman can do with a mission in their head. I have often read that people who go through tragedy change. I can say without doubt this is true. I changed. I realized that the old cliche “life is short” is very true. I didn’t let myself wallow in that phrase. I proceeded to accomplish the best thing I could do in my limited existence. I have shown who I am and what I represent by moving and making a life that is true to my spirit. You can too.

I am writing a book. Please comment below if you like this title. I think I will stay 4ever59! I will keep writing and I will keep learning to be forever young. xo, Michele