Live your message

I want to start my blog by thanking all those who have said yes with me. Yes to living, yes to appreciating each moment and embracing each experience.

I made a bold statement to put it out there that I was going to live a year of yes and I'm not regretting it. Today marks my one year anniversary/ commemoration/ celebration (I don't know which word to use here) of the beginning of my fight against cancer. I spent yesterday (the actual anniversary in New Zealand time) experiencing Iguazu Falls and, it's not often that this happens, it left me speechless! The sheer power, force and determination overwhelmed in both a pensive and excited way. I feel so thankful to have been able to have had this experience!




I'm now more than two weeks into travelling, and more than two weeks into saying yes, and I have truly embraced it. I left a little piece of my heart in Buenos Aires; a crazy, busy, bustling city so full of beauty and fun! The colours of La Boca, Tango in San Telmo, Ferias, reconnecting with friends and making new ones has all left such a strong impression on me. I felt especially happy to be able to have a Madrid friendship reunion while I was there and embrace the path life has given me. I also felt happy to have a wonderful Parilla in our apartment with a friend we made in Santiago. A real Argentine experience.







Santiago was a different experience again. Recovering from Jetlag and other factors I found it hard to get going but loved it all the same. I managed to explore the central area and enjoy just being out and about. My first night started a love affair, not just with Santiago, but with South America as a whole. Looking out from our balcony to see the sun setting over the city centre (which reminded me of the slightly gritty area I lived in Madrid) was breathtaking.




Speaking Spanish has been another wonderful, empowering challenge. It has already started to come back, although I realise how much I have lost of my already low-itermediate skills.

It's fair to say the last 17 days has reawakened my wanderlust and free-spirit after a year of one hospital visit after another. I know those don't stop here but the break has been a cleansing for my soul!

Embracing "yes" has also been far easier than I thought. I commented to my friend last night that I don't even have to think about it anymore, I just go with how I'm feeling in that moment. It's led to some funny experiences along the way but ones I will embrace forever!

So if you haven't already done so, I encourage you to embrace "yes"into your life, release social norms and follow your soul because "vivir es lo unico urgente" (to live is the only urgent thing), a message that I really connected with during this trip.



Thank you to everyone who has supported, followed or sent good energy my way in this year!


Location: Puerto Iguazú, Misiones Province, Argentina

Comments

  1. Benson16 January 2018 at 20:10

    Glad to know that you have a wonderful trip so far. You should also visit Niagara Falls.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meridee12 April 2018 at 20:00

      Thanks Benson. You're not the only one to mention Niagra Falls. If only budgets and lifetimes were unlimited 😁

      Delete
  2. Renata17 January 2018 at 01:51

    Meridee, Yes from me! And thanks for reminding me to enjoy every moment! Sending love xox

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meridee12 April 2018 at 20:01

      Thanks fornjoonfor me in the year of yes Renata! I hope it's proving fun and fruitful so far!

      Delete
  3. Unknown17 January 2018 at 16:03

    You are an inspiration Meridee. I have been thinking a lot about embracing even the not-so-good parts of life knowing that it can always be worse! That said I still need to work on the saying 'yes' part. Thanks for all your updates. I agree- you should definitely see Niagara Falls as well!
    Will you see Diego while you're in South America?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meridee12 April 2018 at 20:03

      Great to hear Melissa! I hope seeing the not-so-great parts of life helps you remember itsi still life and we're ball lucky to have it!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The End.

Image
The End.  This is it now and I find myself slightly lost in how to write about the end. I've done the introduction and taken you through a twisting and turning plot; and I know the story ends because all of ours do ultimately, but how does one write that final chapter? How does one process that it is the final chapter?  I got told a couple of weeks ago. In fact, I got told I may only have a couple of weeks to live and as usual I've stubbornly disproven that theory. I'm no fool though, I understand my life is now being measured in weeks; and not necessarily that many of them. In fairness I almost died (I'm not exaggerating) about two months ago, so in a weird way I'm still one up. I have a very serious infection in my liver which sent me into septic shock; the intensive care unit; and a very blunt conversation of all the things that could happen that they wouldn't resuscitate me from. I have never been so terrified in my life and I experienced a new level of pain
Read more

The year of yes.....

Image
In October 2016, I sat with my friend, in Bulgaria on my 30th birthday, after a somewhat stressful year, and told her 2017 was going to be amazing, I had decided I was really going to live it. What I didn't elaborate on was my plan for this - I was going to live a year of yes. Essentially I was going to say yes to everything unless it didn't fit with my moral code; that way I would truly experience everything the world was going to offer. I had no idea what 2017 had in hold for me and in reflection I did have a year of yes of sorts. I said yes, slice me open - twice; yes, load me full of pills; yes, inject me with bags of chemicals.... all because I want to spend as much time here as I can. Over the last couple of days I've read many reflections from friends around the world saying they hope the next year will be better. Although this year is far from what I had hoped for I have to say there is plenty in 2017 which I have loved. I have re-established old friendships, fo
Read more

Live every moment

Image
"I used to think time was a thief. But you give before you take. Time is a gift. Every minute. Every Second."  - Alice Kingsliegh from Alice through the Looking Glass. This quote really resonated with me the other day when watching the film for the second time (the first time thinking I was perfectly healthy and had decades left in my life). It made me really think about my appreciation of the time I have and the people and opportunities I have or have had in my life. About a month ago I took another blow to my already "not great" diagnosis. My treatment plan is out the window and lots of question marks started flying around my medical teams. What did I do in response to this news? Insisted we had dinner by the waterfront and the next morning I went to the beach. Sitting on the beach I was happy. Not a feeling many people might expect me to feel the day after that news but I felt so fortunate to be able to take myself to the beach, feel the sun shining do
Read more