The Journey Home

As time began to bring me closer to Egypt, it was a challenge to be present and not think about anything else. I wasn’t even thinking about anything specific, just “EGPYT” in my mind and heart. I felt the whole range of emotions move through my body on a daily basis. It became an intense game of presence. How present could I be in my body, how deeply could I be present with what it was I was feeling and how much could I hold at one time. It wasn’t an energy to be released it was just something to be with—allowing the pull to build without allowing myself to become avoidant, distracted, or detached.

I did my best to listen to what it was that felt good, to follow my joy and things that lit me up. It became so obviously painful when I would choose things that were not in alignment with my energy and the direction I was being pulled. This was the case with everything, what I would watch, conversations I participated in, music I listened to, foods I would eat, drinks I drank—anything I connected with, consumed or put in my body and my body told me instantly if that choice was in or out of alignment. It was all “for Egypt” so it became easy to hold boundaries with myself and others.

When it came to the day of travel, I was planning to be to the airport around 2:00. I had this entire idea about what I would be “getting done” that day. I wanted to make it to a yoga class, get a pedicure, and stop the store, and just a number of different last minute things. As I began to move in the direction of doing anything, my mind began to race and I just felt so overwhelmed so I stopped took a few breaths and decided to take a rose filled bath and just soak the feeling of relaxation, gratitude, and royalty in before travel. So I filed the tub with 21 roses and put three aside to travel with me to Egypt. A gift for Egypt, and what’s better than roses?!? When I gave myself permission to not “get it all done,” my nervous system calmed immediately.

So I enjoyed a bath and really tended to the needs of my body and organized my bags in a way that felt nice and secure. Michaels Mom, Kylene, dropped me off at the airport. I felt incredibly calm and relaxed with a side of excitement.

I flew from SLC to Dallas, Dallas to London, London to Ciaro. I was writing poetry the entire journey there. I was writing whatever felt good to write about, most of which were not thoughts or what I was processing. More like a string of words that were descriptive of how I felt or what my energy was showing me about myself. On my first flight I had an entire row to myself and it felt like confirmation, it felt like I was traveling with more than myself and the space was symbolic of that. Also when I was writing, I wrote “we” instead of” I” , which was interesting.

I would also like to mention that I didn’t really know what to expect as far as customs and what was needed from me traveling through the airport to another country, specifically. Whenever different questions came up with me feeling like I really didn’t have a clear understanding on what I would need to do or if I would know how to do what was needed from me, I just let it go. I could have figured everything out and done research, but to be honest, I just didn’t want to. I trusted that I would figure it all out along the way and if I were to run into an issue for some reason I knew that I had the resources available for me to figure it out.

There were for sure moments where I didn’t really know what was going on. Having to go through security in Dallas before I arrive in London and then when I was in London the signs were all in a different language but none of it felt scary. It was just a bit uncomfortable and that was okay.

One thing I really loved about this trip is how I gave myself permission to move and stretch between flights. After I was able to find a place with accurate space to move, breath and feel big. I did! And it was amazing. I actually ended up making friends with two little kids. They saw me stretching and for sure knew how fun it was, they wanted to join. It was fun to receive their magic in me being in the space that I was in.

On the flight to London I sat next to two stunning women and had conversations and connections with them that felt needed for us all. One woman had been visiting her daughter for three months from India and was on her way back home. It was her only daughter and she was feeling sad about parting ways. I let her barrow my phone to call her daughter to let her know she was safely on the plane. It was so sweet and tender and incredibly special to witness the love a mother had for her daughter. We cried together. All three of us on the row. The other woman was from Texas, also a mother, of two boys, and was flying back to London to attend University. She is a writer and she spent most of her life putting her family first, and now was her time to do what was best for her. It was inspiring to hear her story filled with passion and drive.

On the flight from London to Cairo I sat next to a gentleman who was going to Egypt for work and he had shared with me some tips with phone service and was kind in wanting to make sure I made it to the desk to get my visa at the airport and filling out the paperwork necessary. As I came out of security there was a gentleman waiting for me with my name on a paper. He took me past the lines for to get my visa and escorted me to get my bags. It was SO NICE!

At this point it was like midnight in Cairo. I sat aside at the airport waiting for Joey so the team that was escorting us could also pick her up before we drove to the hotel. Again, Joey is the woman who orchestrater of this entire Egypt portal. And what a gift that was! To see Joey and experience her magical magnetism. I was feel tired from travel and while I was trusting I was also feeling a bit overwhelmed. Now that I had landed in Egypt it was daunting—like I was feeling so much that allowing myself to feel anything felt like a lot. Joey was welcoming, excited, kind, trusting, rooted and her energy was so supportive of me being in the space that I was. During the 30 min drive to the hotel I was pretty quiet and reserved, just breathing and taking it all in. Feeling a bit insecure.

Sharing a bit about what was going on in my life with Joey and just taking in Joeys magic. When we arrived at the hotel, Hatam, Joey’s Egyptian husband, was there waiting with a pizza and it was a whole ordeal. You would think Joey was the queen. I mean she is, infact, a queen! And oh boy was she greeted like one, treated like one and donated over as one. I mean these men were lining up to assist her in anyway possible. All I could think was, YES PLEASE! It was truly a gift to witness all of this.

I was escorted up to my room and the bellman looks at me and and says, “Welcome Home”