Prolonged Island Life: A Reflection

One year ago today, on January 28th 2020, I entered Thailand for the last time. Little did I know that I would not be traveling through Vietnam and the Philippines and the US over the spring and summer as I had planned. Little did I know I would still be here in Thailand a full year later. And aside from a 3 week trip to Chiang Mai back in November, I've not left Koh Phangan at all (day trips off island to deal with my visa don't count). My first post of 2021--a full year reflection of this prolonged island life. 

February: Synergy. Tuned in and dancing with life. Kosmic Nesting at Jai Thep Festival in the northern mountains, meeting up with friends visiting from the US for island adventures, hiking to remote beaches to watch storms brew and feel lightening charge the ether. I catch wind and let the sweet energy of life around me sweep me up and carry me away. 

March: Unravel. Heat waves and rumbling thunder. I attend lively writing sessions and esoteric workshops. I find belonging. But the center does not hold. I fall ill with dengue on a Wednesday morning. Days later when the fever dreams subside and I crawl out of bed, I emerge to a world come unraveled. 

April: Stalemate. Locked in place. Trapped on a tropical island. Life takes on a surreal quality. I meet friends on deserted beaches where we share otherworldly secrets and traipse through thick coastal jungle. Nothing looks or feels real anymore. There could be worse existences. 

May: Wisdom. I accidently join a mystery school and spend the next 2 months studying ancient mystics and practices. Of course, wisdom gained never comes from others. It always comes from direct experience, using discernment, and integrating awakened memories of knowledge lost. 

June: Ground. I integrate back into community through grounding group meditations on the beach and attending cozy, close knit improv sessions in the jungle. The alchemy of human connection is an ephemeral gift that I embrace for as long as I can. 

July: Anchor. Along with a mass exodus of island dwellers, communities burn out and energy dissipates. Online, I reunite with friends spread across the world. I anchor to their presence, their wisdom, their guidance. 

August: Retreat. I take long, late night drives across the island to see dark sky, bioluminescence, and fireflies, to untangle thoughts, clear channels, and gain clarity, to immerse myself in the magic of being. I retreat to the tri-bay to walk the labyrinth and watch the sunrise.  

September: Explore. Follow the pings of curiosity--discover hidden bays, the wisdom of Mooji, and the serendipitous magic of manifestation. 

October: Celebrate. Another solar return, and this year I ask: How will I go about seeking more questions? By digging into life more, by celebrating each moment of this precious, fleeting human life. 

November: Dream. I head to Chiang Mai and fall into a lucid dream. My days are full of reunions and laughter, hiking and waterfalls, astronomy and goats. I've stepped through a portal where the illusions of the world fall away and all that's left is the beauty and mystery that surrounds me.

December: Boundless. Back on the island, I find vortexes, faeries, planetary conjunctions, and meteor showers. I come unstuck in time and connect with the stars and planets and all the wonder of the cosmos. I tap into their vastness and energy and expand into the boundless universe.

January: Hermit. Circumstances have pushed my Chiang Mai trip back until February. Now all I have is time--a gift not to be squandered. Divine timing working it's magic. I ground the cosmic energy of December and withdraw from the world. I revisit old practices to keep my channels clear and open. I become hyper-focused. In three weeks time, I've completed the fifth and final draft of my novel. Time to take the next steps, to move forward, to accept everything rushing toward me at incomprehensible speeds. 

I am beyond grateful to have spent 2020 on this little tropical island in the south of Thailand. I lost nothing this year and gained so much more than expected. As long as I keep my curiosity alive and align with the seasons of my soul, I will continue to thrive and create and experience magic.

Reflect on the year: How did you work with what 2020 presented to you? Were you able to gain knowledge and wisdom and understanding from it? How will you move through 2021? What will you do differently this year?