The Awakened Traveler

  As I write this, I am on my patio drinking wine and sparkling water and munching on some almonds and dates I bought from the organic co-op minutes from my short-term rental in the centre of Toulouse. Just having arrived last Friday, Toulouse feels open, happy, bright and flowing. Just being here a few days, I feel more alive. I want to wander out. I want to interact with people again. And people say Bonjour with a smile. Having lived in Poland for over a year, I missed the openness of passersby. So, whatever people say about the French, it just isn’t so. I’ve been to Paris, and I found the same thing. They are friendly and kind to strangers. But I know a little French, having lived in South Louisiana for several years, where the Cajuns speak a dialect of French. I’ve moved more than 30 times in my life…and stopped counting years ago. I never felt at home in America, but I also had no idea how to move abroad. But I dreamed of it for decades. I finally moved to Poland through an En

 It’s been nearly a year since I arrived in Poland. I thought to teach English to foreign language students, but the Universe apparently had other plans. And I can finally say I have firm footing here living abroad. Krakow, Poland - Wawel Castle A lot has happened over the last year, which seems to have flown by. I came here through the sponsorship of a TEFL business. I wasn’t all that impressed with the support, and low and behold, that business lost its ability to sponsor work permits in Poland. The announcement came in late December with an end date of June 30, 2022. So, I had some time to figure out what was next. In the meantime, I have been working as a content writer for several businesses in Poland.  Some of my other colleagues attached to the English TEFL business were severely impacted. There were over 400 teachers from all over the world, from Africa to Canada, that came here to Poland under this business sponsorship. Since the US had an agreement with Poland, I was able to

To say that opening your own business in a foreign country is stressful would be a huge understatement. Here’s a clue. Get a professional to help you. It lessens the stress because you know it’s being done right. From filing immigration papers to opening your own business, if you don’t speak or read the language, these are nearly impossible tasks to do on your own. In coming to Poland, I came with the help of a business incubator that assisted with getting me a Polish phone number, bank account, work permit, and a PESEL number (the equivalent to a US social security number that allows you to work in-country). To file my immigration papers for a residence card, I hired an immigration attorney to help me through the process, filling out the paperwork (in which there is a lot) and attending the immigration appointment at The Foreign Office to apply for a Residence Card. It’s not just the paperwork, although that’s a huge part of it. When you go to your appointment, your attorney kno

 If both The Empress and The Emperor come up in a tarot reading, it means this is a power couple! Why are they a power couple? They both rule over their empire. They both have manifested success in their lives. They are both happy in their own right. They can both stand alone successfully when not together. The Empress sits on her padded throne with her abundance all around her. Her crops have just started to sprout out of the ground before her. On her left side is a stone with the Venus sign denoting her as the Devine Feminine and representing true love. She has a lush forest behind her with a flowing waterfall on her right side. The sky is a bright yellow signifying her happiness. She also stands for fertility and the beginnings of manifestation in your life. Her gown is dotted with red flowers, denoting passion, and is white, symbolizing purity. When she appears in a male’s reading, this foretells true love. As The Empress is also the divine mother in the tarot, she can also d

Looking back on my life, I’ve often discounted my intuition to disastrous ends. Or maybe it was just that I didn’t know how to use it. Over the years, and having had experience following my gut or not following my gut feeling, I’ve learned how to navigate life better using my intuition. We all have intuitive abilities. Not all of us know how to use it. Some people deny it exists. They follow their heads and not their hearts. But that ability still exists in everyone should we choose to honor it. For me, it’s always been there. I’ve worked with it to heighten its ability to lead my life. Now, I can walk into a room and know its vibe. There are certain people I connect with and certain people I don’t. And I’ve learned not to force situations that weren’t meant to be. The High Priestess is the epitome of intuition. She sits on her throne, ruling over her kingdom, her life, and her passions. She is situated between a black pillar representing the underworld and a white pillar represe

 After we begin a new journey like The Fool card depicts, the next step is creating the life we want. That’s where The Magician comes in. The Magician card is The Fool's first step as it is labeled No. 1 in the Major Arcana of the Tarot. One cannot expect to bring about change and or success in one’s life without first knowing what one wants to create. The Magician is in the energy of creation. He knows that he must impose his energy upon his outside world instead of allowing the outside world to impose its energy upon him and his life. He knows life happens for him, not to him. He is in charge of his energy and points to the ground and to the heavens indicating that “as it is above, so it is below.” The Magician has all the elements of the minor arcana around him, a wand, a pentacle, a cup, and a sword. So, he has what he needs to create whatever he wants. He also knows that life is infinite. That is depicted in the card with the infinity sign above his head and the snake eati