‘sometimes in the winds of change – we find our true direction’

A lot has happened during the last few months and I would like to share it with you. Today feels like a good moment to reflect on the changes we have been through and the direction we are going in.

Let’s start with the house hunting: If you have been following my Instagram stories you have probably seen the pictures of an amazing property we visited twice in October. I was in love with this place from the first moment and daydreaming about the possibilities. I envisioned how amazing this place could be and how much potential it has. The property is located in a small natural park, has a lot of land and a huge house. In my mind I was transforming it into a beautiful retreat center and I imaged how great it would be to live there.

But I neglected the facts that the price is extremely above budget and the house needs a complete makeover. We were very close to making an offer anyway. We had an appointment at the real estate agency already when we realized; this is too much of a risk at this moment. Watching the circumstances in the world with lockdowns and travel restrictions being part of our lives now. How could we invest everything we have into something that can only work when people can travel and come together in groups? As we asked ourselves this question we understood that we have to be more creative and explore different alternatives.

To be honest this realization was a big disappointment for me. We had spent a whole year intensively searching for the right location to create our retreat center. It was like a full time job: searching for houses, visiting locations, talking to real estate agents, and so on. For a moment it felt like this all shattered into pieces.

Luckily there was not much time to dwell on these feelings, because we had to move. After renting an apartment for one year it was time to leave. Fortunately it is winter now and that makes it easier to find a rental accommodation for a few months. We were lucky and found a really nice place. It is fully furnished and has a wonderful balcony where we can enjoy the sunshine. Even though we have very few possessions, our plant collection is huge. So moving to our new temporary home took a couple of days. Now we live in a tiny village directly at the beach. This is the perfect spot for now, but we can only stay here for three months.

In our search for different alternatives and new ways of creating what we dream of, we decided that we first need a permanent place to stay. Renting furnished apartments for a few months is a very expensive and time consuming undertaking. We are now in the process of buying a small apartment, giving ourselves more stability and a real home. It’s still in process, so fingers crossed it will work out fine. Knowing that we soon have place to call home feels great and living so close to the ocean in this beautiful sunny country feels like a dream come true already.

‘sometimes in the winds of change – we find our true direction’

As you can see, there have been some winds of change over here. Of course change is part of life and we all know that everything changes all the time. Finding our true direction is a process too. I think there are several directions that can be equally good and true for us. And I know for myself that it works best to start walking in one direction and then finding out if it feels right. And if it doesn’t, then I allow myself to take a different turn and find a new path.

For this new year I’m excited to move to our new home. From there we will continue to enjoy the good life here in Portugal while exploring new ways of finding a retreat center. We realized we have to adapt our expectations and be more creative. I’m very much looking forward to this new year full of new adventures and new paths.

We wish you a wonderful new year with courage and creativity that allow you to walk in your true direction, no matter how many detours it takes.

Sending you much love and sunshine from Portugal.
Beijinhos,
Sophie & Boris

P.S. You can still practice yoga with me wherever you are! I teach yoga classes on Zoom every Tuesday and Thursday evening. You can easily sign up for one class at a time. Give it a try and let’s do yoga together. Sign up here. Or go to our YouTube channel with more than 100 yoga classes already and new classes coming regularly. Have a look here.

Portugal, January 2022