Lila and I on the beach in Panama / Photo: Leigh Shulman
What can you expect now that Matador Life has a new editor?
The best advice I ever received came from a wonderful woman I met while studying forest conservation in Brazil’s Mata Atlantica, a subtropical rainforest just outside of Rio de Janeiro.
This woman, Amanda, is the sort whose presence makes you feel immediately at ease. You just know with her that everything will turn out right. I spoke to her one lovely evening sitting on the beach. I had no idea what I’d awaited me in the US once summer ended. No job, no apartment, no plans, and I was worried.
“Leigh,” she told me, “Trust life.”
It sounded great in the moment, sitting there drinking strong coffee and listening to the waves. Of course, life will bring me whatever I need. Her words, however, turned slippery and elusive as I sat on the airplane back to Brooklyn.
Trust life? How?
If something seems overwhelming or even impossible, say yes anyway.
The other day, my five-year-old daughter Lila asked me, “Mama, what happens if you touch the sun?” How would you answer her question?
Find a way to make the impossible a reality, because nothing is too big, too far, or too much, unless you decide it is.
You can see what you already-know in a way you’ve never-before-seen by simply taking the world, turning it slightly and looking from a different angle. The other day, my five-year-old daughter Lila asked me, “Mama, what happens if you touch the sun?” How would you answer her question?
I believe in collaboration. Many voices make for a richer more beautiful song, and I hope all of you will not only return to read Matador Life, but add your tone in comments and perhaps through your own submissions.
What It Means to Thrive Between Trips
Travel, it seems, comes in stages. The first, you just want to be out there on the move. I felt this way when my family – husband Noah, Lila and I – sold everything we owned and left Brooklyn to travel the world. I didn’t look back.
But constant movement can be exhausting. You move onto stage two, where you still want the strange and different travel brings, but at a slower pace. That’s when we rented a small wooden house on a tiny island off the Caribbean coast of Panama and lived there for six months. We always knew, though, we would move on.
Finally, we wanted roots, a place to be comfortable. We wanted to go home.
Now, home means many a varied thing, but I posit a few commonalities. Home means you make a commitment. Those commitments can arrive in the form of payments, work, someone you love, so you stop moving for a while. You no longer expand your world by the distance you cover, and instead cultivate your mind and yourself while standing in one spot.
Matador Life, as I see it, is about existence in that third place.
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16 Comments... join the discussion!
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Hello Leigh,
I loved your post…welcome to Matador Life! I look forward to reading more from you!
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I love the picture of you and your daughter on the beach! I can’t wait to read more from you!
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Simply incredible!!!!!! First time I met this wonderful family, their energy told me what kind of free smart souls they were! I´m SO proud of their accomplishments and couldn´t be happier for their outcome in the world in general…
Matador life is truly represented by these individuals! You did good when choosing!
Congratz my dear friend!!!!!!!!! Can´t wait to read more from you!
Ran.
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Right on. Like Gary Snyder said, “Find your place on the planet, dig in, and take responsibility from there.” I’m ready for that third place too and excited to see the content Life will put out there.
Psyched to be working with you, Leigh.
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Excellent sentiment – you hit that one right on for me!
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Beautiful. “Trust life” is something we all need to hear.
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How great to see familiar faces and new ones as well. I’m so excited to be part of the Matador team, and looking forward to getting to know others in the community.
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Yay, another kindred spirit! Welcome, Leigh. I look forward to reading more of your positive & inspiring words.
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Yep, you put it beautifully Leigh. I’ve been in phase 3 for a couple years now, but ready to move on again.
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Susan… great to be connected with you here and on Twitter!
Carlo.. I guess I’m on the opposite end. I just arrived at this 3rd phase. What I’m finding is the process of picking up to go and that of putting down roots are remarkably similar. Either way, it’s exciting, new, maybe a bit anxiety provoking at times, too.
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I tried to leave this comment before and will try again now. Congrats Leigh! I’m so happy for you and I’m very excited to read more of what’s to come!
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Wow! What a way to dig into Matador. Well said.
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Lovely story! Home is a state of mind!
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Hi Leigh, It’s really funny that I found you here by pure coincidence. Maybe is the same way I met you in Panama and got to share a tiny small part of your wonderful trip around south america.
It is just amazing that we got to share a Vietnam theme potluck lunch with all kinds of friends (who still remember an quote some of your stories) and then to find you here (a site I know I’ll visit again and often) thru zenhabits (or was it twitter?).
kiss-kiss
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Ana! How great to see you here!
That Vietnamese potluck is one of the highlights of my time in Panama. Hanging out with all of you made it very difficult to leave as well as gives us a reason to come back. And how funny to hear that people are still telling our stories. I love that! (Now if only I could remember what I said.)
Besos!
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