Soulmates Found Within Hostel Volunteering

During times of solo travel, as an avid writer I am, there are times when sitting down and getting my emotional world caught up with my physical world, is difficult. Just like the oceans, there are big waves and small waves and with the small waves, we can truly sit back and view life in front of us, but only after the big waves have passed.

The trickiness of sitting down and compiling my current whereabouts has been hard because I have never loved my present moment so much, connected so greatly with my surroundings, felt so in touch with my body and self-love, and learned so much about the universe all to prosper so greatly in the present moment.

After returning back to Santiago from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) I knew I wanted to volunteer again. I liked Santiago, the food, the big city, the nightlife, the fashion. To me, it felt like a "South American New York City" that was mixed and dipped with worldly culture. The morning after I returned a hostel responded to me and said I could volunteer. I responded “YES” and showed up an hour later…If they hadn’t responded, I would have left the city.

When I arrived at the hostel there were two other volunteers in the same room as me; One who was 19 from Switzerland and another who was in her 40s from Argentina.

It all started with a “Hi!! What’s your name?”… and from there, magic transpired.

Her name was Kat and she miraculously flew across the world to be an oparé but got fired the first week in, which I found to be the funniest thing ever. That got her to look for other opportunities and stumble upon this hostel as a volunteer, which kickstarted our hostel volunteering story together. We both thank god for that mishap…

We ate the same. Thought the same. Laughed at the same jokes. Found each other's companies to be the most divine thing in the world. We opened up to each other rather quickly and it was dope. I used to think I was all about natural products and living a healthy life, but this chick really got me thinking... She introduced me to a whole new perspective on the things we put into our bodies. We're often conditioned to just pop pills because they promise relief, use shampoo because of its pleasant scent, or apply body lotion because it claims to be 'natural and soft.' But when you pause and question whether you truly need or want to use these products, you might hear a very different answer.

She reminded me that our bodies can heal on our own helping me wean off products I’ve wanted to stop using for a while.

She helped me get over whatever fear I had still about germs and reminded me of the importance of getting your paws dirty from time to time.

I felt like this past month was the strongest I have ever loved my body because I was around someone's energy who saw me for me, appreciated the divineness of our bodies, and never tried to change or control a thing that was not hers. It’s nice to be around someone who knows the power of our bodies and minds.

Flash forward to this morning: I found Kat in the bathroom to say goodbye and I couldn't hold back the tears. Maybe I was tired (she thinks) but this past month with Kat was one of the best months I had traveling. What is so awesome is that no matter how hard the goodbyes get and me secretly telling myself I'll never feel this good again proves itself wrong time and time again.

Our hearts fit together nicely and we were able to have conversations about a lot of intimate things. We licked the same spoons after dipping them in peanut butter, drank out of the same milk carton, tried on each other's clothes, washed/folded each other's laundry, ate dinner together every night after cooking together, shared coffees, tried new things together, held hands, cuddled with each other before bed, shared an occasional slice of lemon pie, read together, cried together (usually me crying and her silently sitting there petting my back), held crystals in our hands together, tanned together, swam together, and got to travel together…you get the gist.

Now that she's gone, I feel a tiny bit heartbroken. Her laugh, her perfect smile, and sophisticated cheekbones, her dedication to purity and holistic way of life, her swiftness and ease in all her movements, never complaining, supporting me, always wanting to understand more….

For this past month, my smile has never felt this effortless and natural.

When I think of Kat, I think of the word FLOW: flow with life, flow with your heart, flow with your words, flow with your love, and flow with your body.

When we said goodbye, we both set intentions for the matching necklaces we bought together. We wanted these friendship necklaces to remind us of the beauty in life. My intention was, "There are so many people in your life you haven’t met yet that you will love," and Kat’s was inspired by something I said that deeply resonated with her: "The power of turning foreignness into home. No matter where you go, you can always feel at home."

These intentions embody our optimism and our love for life and growth. The timing and reason for both of us being in Santiago were God's plan. Meeting Katrin was God's plan.

To all the solo backpackers out there, don't let the fear of not meeting people on your journey overwhelm you. Timing is in the hands of the universe, and what is meant for you will never pass you by."

Xoxo,

Chelsey