I don’t believe in coincidences and here is an example why!

When you reflect back on incredible things that have just fallen into place, when the impossible becomes possible or things align in a way you couldn’t have imagined, do you think it’s a coincidence?

I was recently flying back from Kos, Greece to London with a stop over in Duesseldorf, Germany. I had a full day of travel; 2.5 hour ferry from Patmos to Kos (because it stops at 4 other islands) then my 2 flights to get me home. The other ladies I was travelling with were staying on another night so I was on my own to get from the port to the airport which is about an hour travel. I’ve travelled solo plenty of times before, no problems.

When on the ferry, I began looking at my flights. Maybe because of the time difference or maybe I just forgot but I only had 2 hours to get from the port to my flight, which is 1 hour in travel. I thought, that’s fine, the universe will have a bus waiting for me. I checked the bus schedule and they came every hour… except when I was arriving, there was a 1.5 hour break. I then received an email from the airline about construction at the airport, to arrive earlier than usual and to expect delays (way to add fuel to the fire, thanks universe).

Instead of freaking out, I came to terms with the fact that the €40 taxi was my only option. So I began telling the ladies I was travelling with that I would find a group of people getting in a taxi and ask if I could share the fare with them. With all the ferry stops I figured I would wait til I got off and ask people at the port.

First taxi I went to was full, the second one had 3 people in it; I asked if they were off to the airport but they said no and closed the door! The third taxi had 3 men putting their bags in the boot. I asked if they were going to the airport and they said yes, then I took a breath and asked if I could join them and split the fare. I’m sure they thought I was crazy but with only a slight hesitation, they said yes. The taxi driver, who was even more confused, said “lady where are you going?” In which I replied “to the airport with these guys”!

I’ve solo travelled a lot, I know what feels safe and what doesn’t. I trust my instincts and this felt safe! I waved goodbye to the ladies and off I went.

In the taxi, we got chatting and not only had these 3 men been on the tiny island of Patmos that I was staying on, they were actually Australian and one was living in London. After some more taxi banter, we figured out we were all the same flight AND they were the row in front of me.

They were so lovely sharing their week in Patmos, their travel plans and even how funny it was we all ended up in that taxi together. I actually think it was the taxi driver who was most shocked! So instead of paying for a €40 taxi, it was €10 each and I made some new friends oh and caught my flight on time!

I told the universe exactly what I wanted and it definitely didn’t disappoint. Coincidence? I think not.

The universe is aligning incredible opportunities in your path constantly. Be aware. Be conscious. Look out for them and show gratitude to increase their frequency. What things have you manifested?

We have all seen in the news and on Smart Traveller that travelling to Palestine isn’t safe. That it’s riddled with violence and danger.

There is definitely a war occurring and I’m not going to get into the politics of that but when we started planning a trip to Israel, I wanted to see the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem.

As we began doing more and more research on how and where to travel, we saw Bethlehem was in Palestine/West Bank. Our car travel didn’t cover crossing the border due to the conflict occurring there so we decided to join a 1 day tour from Jerusalem.

Bethlehem is only about 30 minutes drive from Jerusalem. There is a border crossing but no passports were sighted.

On the tour, we learnt so much about how different cultural festivities are celebrated in unity. In the main square across from where it’s said Jesus was born, Christian, Orthodox and Armenian cultures are all celebrated leading up to Christmas.

Palestine is separated into 3 areas; Area A is exclusively administered by the Palestinian Authority; Area B is administered by both the Palestinian Authority and Israel; and Area C, which contains the Israeli settlements, is administered by Israel.

Area A is said to be the most dangerous and advised not to go there. On the tour, they took us to the wall of area A. There were no guards, no weapons, no fighting and no sign of a war apart from the wall that divided the city.

Similar to the Berlin Wall, you could feel the dense energy here. The sadness, the pain and the struggle.

Palestine was not what I expected. We were greeted with love and kindness, everyone was polite and respectful. Most importantly, I felt very safe being there.

I wanted to share my experience as I’m constantly questioning what we are shown in the media versus what is occurring in real life. My experience was very positive despite current political situations.

Have you ever had clear signs from the universe you needed to change your direction or travel plans?

Last year, I chased the crystal clear waters of Greece, literally did hours of searching and going to different islands.I was so excited to visit Symi. Pictures looked great, had a good recommendation so off I went, solo. When I arrived, it wasn’t what I expected. I ended up walking to a beach and just sat to absorb the atmosphere. I planned on staying a night at least but hadn’t booked accommodation because I’d begun realising how controlling I was with my travel and planning and was making a conscious decision to let go and work I’m trusting the universe to guide me.

I began searching online and for some where to stay but accommodation was showing up ridiculously expensive (way more than I’d budgeted for) or unavailable. I could feel my anxiety increasing and then, the strangest thing happened…

A worker renting sun lounges came to ask if I wanted one. I said no, I was ok with my towel on the beach, he made a comment like “what, you’re just going to sit on the rocky beach?” He looked at me strangely and walked away. I continued searching frantically for somewhere to stay. I lost my presence and the beauty of my surroundings. I became immersed in my phone looking for accommodation.

The man then came back a few minutes later and said his boss said if I didn’t want a sun lounge I would have to move away from the beach shore where the sun lounges were because if people saw me sitting on the beach they might not buy a sun lounge. I was super confused. It’s a beach. I can sit where I want… right?

Anyway, I said I’d move soon and continued with my accomodation search (by this stage almost in tears… or maybe had shed one or two). He left and returned a few minutes later. Then…

He picked up my bag and said I needed to move right now. I was shocked. Stressed. Couldn’t speak. Felt powerless. And I wish I took a photo of where he moved me to. Behind the rocky beach was a patch of dirt. He put my bag down there and I was in so much shock, I laughed. It’s all I could do. Was he joking? I wasn’t even on the beach anymore! I spoke up and moved closer to the beach. He was annoyed but moved away.

For me, being physically removed was like a slap in the face; a big enough sign from the universe I needed to move on from the island. I stopped searching accommodation but instead looked up what other ferries were coming and going from this small island that day so I could get out of there!

And that I did! I needed to get a ferry to Rhodes. 

Best. 

Decision. 

Ever! 

Everything about Rhodes was divinely orchestrated. A true blessing!

On the way to Rhodes, there were 2 hostels I was tossing up between. Mind you, I rarely stayed in hostels (mostly feared getting bedbugs but also feared strangers). I ended up booking Rodos Backpackers because it had smaller room sizes (less strangers I thought).

After my traumatic ordeal in Symi, I was so thankful to arrive the the hostel. I was greeted by Mike… an Aussie who ran the family owned hostel. I felt right at home and was so thankful to be there (thank you universe)

That night I went to dinner with some people from the hostel and all the dramas from the day felt insignificant. I was safe and happy!

The next day at the hostel I met Vesa. He offered to drive me around the island as he had hired a car. At first I was like 😳 no thanks (with my fear of strangers and all) but as we got chatting there was something comforting about his energy. I had a decision to make…

Go with my original “fear of strangers” program that’s kept me safe from a place of fear OR trust my intuition that I was safe with him and go out to see the island…

Next thing we know we were off! And I’m still here to tell the story. Vesa was an absolute God sent. So kind and caring. I remember we were chatting in the car and both said “it feels like we know each other or have met before”. Truly magical. For me, Vesa reminded me of my dad. He talked about his kids and his life in Finland. He was calm and inspired me with his passion for wanting to travel solo more and do more hiking. We visited the butterfly valley, beaches and another village, Lindos. We truly had the best day!

A few days later, Vesa had moved on but a girl Bridget arrived at the hostel. Bridget was super chill and calm. We got along so well and spent the day at the beach. We chatted about life and past experiences, we had so much in common! None of this ‘small talk’ business. We were having deep and meaningful conversations and then Vesa came and met us!

None of this would have been possible if I stayed in Symi, or if I let my fear of strangers take over my decisions or if I didn’t trust my intuition and stayed small. I’m not saying everyone is trustworthy but there are good people out there.

I am grateful to Vesa for breaking down my fear in strangers and showing me that it’s safe to travel solo and make friends and for Briget who was there when I needed a sister!

When have you seen signs from the universe that you followed and it led to something magical?

Have you ever stacked rocks at the beach?

Here I was thinking it would make a great photo and is supposed to be all “zen” but my mood quickly changed as I became increasingly frustrated at how difficult it actually is.

As I looked for flat rocks to stack and bigger ones for the bottom etc. I soon noticed when you stack one on top, all the ones underneath started moving, twisting and often falling. It was not like stacking jenga blocks!

I took a deep breath and listened to my internal dialogue. It was saying “what rock should go next” “which ones fit together to then allow the next rock to stack on top to get this finished” and “If I hold the top one and stack them quickly maybe they will all balance”. I lay all the rocks out to evaluate them.

Then it hit me like a tonne of… rocks! This is exactly how my logical brain works. I’m constantly trying to figure out, plan, know what’s coming next and what I should be doing to make everything work out. I sometimes can see I have options, but I can also be blinded and convinced there is only one way of doing things. I’m also working on being more patient. I had a little chuckle to myself when I realised then took a deep breath and started again. This time asking which rock goes next, taking my time, breathing, then I created these!

The gift of the situation?

I have been working on myself these last few years to recognise and let go of control programs we all subconsciously run and replace them with trust. Why do we have control programs? Our ego has the job to protect us and can make you feel like you need to be in control to gain/keep love and if not, instills fear. At the beginning it is difficult to let go of control because your logical mind (or ego as we call it) wants to kick back in and resort to old patterns but on the other side, when you let go and trust, it’s so freeing! It allows space for creative flow, new opportunities and positive change.

Can you think of a moment you found yourself wanting to control a situation then surrendered to the universe? Would love to hear about it and the outcome.