What Mama Earth Showed Me

Two years after my long term travels came to an end, seeing its purpose becomes easier and clearer. The distance between then and now keeps expanding, time has brought me space to move through.

Combined together I traveled for almost two and half years. Through parts of southern Europe and through a part of South America. It makes me smile remembering the times where I felt its importance, feeling there was no other path for me but this one. I had to do it even though I couldn’t pinpoint out why I had to. Back then I told myself it will come with time. I always kind of discarded the idea of it being ‘going out into the world and finding myself’. At the time my reasons for wanting to travel also weren’t to ‘find myself’ or to ‘look for myself’. My motive for wanting to travel was the passion I have for different cultures and different countries. I simply wanted to experience all that. To experience, to see, hear, smell, taste and to feel the richness this world has to offer in its diversity. I wanted to see Mama Earth’s beauty with my own eyes, meet different cultures, learn about other ways of doing things. Getting the knowledge into my system that the way I was brought up, certain beliefs, habits and things I find normal (simply because it‘s what I am used to) are simply a way but never the way. It all holds small, different truths in my opinion. That was what and still is very important to me. To expand my horizon, to exercise an open mind.

I struggled with the realization of how of a privilege that is. Being able to travel, meet other cultures so I can expand my horizon, to exercise an open mind. I cringed at that. It made me feel very uncomfortable. I asked myself ‘what on Earth am I doing here? I need to see other people’s ways to expand my mind? I need to see poverty to truly realize how privileged I am? I felt like the next white girl in line having some sort of epiphany because she finally pulled the blinds off. Most parts of South America showed me the power in doing it together, sticking with each other. Something I realized I miss here, in the Netherlands. I mean, I believe we have got to stick with one another because we are all in this together. We all call this planet home.

The places that fascinated me and which seemed to sing to my heart, are the places that realize this. Where Mama Earth is honored and celebrated. Where they are deeply connected to their roots. Where they know the land and where they listen to the Elements. Where Ancient Wisdom is still at practice. At that time I couldn’t even have told you on what soil I live, what the names are of the trees I pass by when walking through the woods or which flora and fauna is native to my home land. That made me feel poor. The lack of ancient knowledge. (I am not saying people are simply rich by knowing Ancient Wisdom or by sticking together. What I am saying is that I believe it is part of it. The western view on the definition of poor and rich has polluted our continents and oceans.) The distance I felt towards my home land, seemed to be the result. I always used to say “I don’t hate the Netherlands but I don’t particularly love it either. I do not think I would still live there if it wasn’t for my family.” I had to go back and learn all these things. I mean, I am still learning. I had to define what grounding means to me. What growing my roots entails to me.

While this process unfolded itself, I also started to see all the diversity here and the richness it holds. There’s such a diversity in people, in cultures that come together here. There’s such diversity in the land and waters. To me that’s something that should be honored and celebrated, together. We have got to share our Ancient Wisdom, our diversity. We have got to come together.

That’s what Mama Earth showed me.

I am discovering what all of this is leading me to. Throughout the process I am simply going with the Flow. Following the example of the river. Uncovering, learning, honoring, dancing, celebrating and creating while doing so.