Home Is Where The Heart Is

I have been in my new home for 6 days now.  I feel so grateful and bubbly inside, words can’t express.  I look around and feel like I am home.  Now of course I felt this way when I bought my first home in 2001. I also felt this way when I first arrived in Salvador.  As I think back, I arrived to Brazil with $0.  I took the boat through the Amazon from Colombia and arrived in Manaus.  A friend I met along my journey lent me money for a flight to Salvador. Once in Salvador, my brother was able to wire me money, which was a tremendous support.  I am thankful for him and my family for supporting me and thankful that I have not had to ask for money to be sent since.  I started to teach English and after a year of moving from place to place I finally found a place I could afford and call home.  I stayed in a favela, but it was my own place, I loved it.  It was small but all I needed.   I had a simple life, did not want for more.  The name of the favela is Morro da Sereia, which means Mermaid Hill.  I lived there for almost 2 years.  I moved in January 2012 and lived there until September 2013.  There I was able to grow my Reiki practice where I taught regular classes as well as gave sessions.  I was able to do yoga with different practitioners.  I took part in Variety shows, workshops and grew spiritually.  The downside was the amount of steps that I had to walk up to get to my house, the days or weeks we would go without water, the dog and cat poop on the steps and in front of the house and not to forget the noise.  I realized how precious water is, and how much I use it and need it in my day to day life.   I also, learned how strong and perseverant I am.  To hike up the steps with grocery bags, to deal with the neighbors’ music early in the mornings or late at nights some time, the foolishness of some of the neighbors, but I also had loving neighbors who watched out for me and my home, and it felt like a sense of community.  I loved it and am thankful for every experience I had there as it helped me to grow.  I know I also stayed there because I thought I could not afford more and through my personal work learned that I was there as a way to honor my ancestors.  But I know now, my ancestors do not want me to honor them through lack or a poverty mindset.  So I will honor them another way.  Now I moved into my new home, which has space in the back for a BBQ and a little garden.  I look forward to this space to plant herbs and to allow my Aloe Vera plant to flourish.  I feel like I can make a home here for however long that will be.  I am just open to what the universe sends to me.