A great beginning!

I grew up in Portugal to English parents living an expatriate life. It was a strange life. Not really belonging and yet feeling totally at home. I always wanted to travel. I left home very young to go to a boarding school in UK and never went back for long! After School I volunteered for six months at a crèche in the slums of Recife, Brazil. While there I started gaining an interest for some of the tribal groups in Brazil and became interested in the spirituality of South America. The mix of cultures and beliefs produced a vibrant and stimulating feeling in me. Such diversity. I was hooked on travelling and seeing more of the world.

From Brazil I returned to England, where I questioned more and more, searching for answers in all the wrong places and from all the wrong people. But even that was an important lesson for me. I learnt valuable lessons from those days and I would never change a day (well maybe one or two!). I left England to regroup myself in my home of Portugal, but still I was restless. I had no idea what I wanted to do. I knew I had to travel, and just at the end of the summer season when my work would come to an end I met an Irish family who offered me work in Ireland. Ireland is a land filled with magic and mystery. I fell in love with the people, the land and the culture. Ireland is my home (for now!). It was here that I developed my love for photography. After studying photography for a few years I went on a quest to travel again so I left for South East Asia. I travelled through many countries documenting what I saw and in some way what I felt.

It was there that I went to spend a month in Myanmar (Burma). I had planned doing a Vipassana course in India, but through a series of events I met a wonderful woman Donna who took me to Daw Yuzana Vipassana retreat. Daw Yuzana was a nun who taught Vipassana. It was quite an honor to meet this woman. I felt at peace and yet very energized in the company of these women. Now you must remember none of this was planned. I had planned on going for a month to visit some sacred sites in Myanmar. However, life threw these opportunities at me and I took them with an open heart. I went on with Donna to another centre, Shwe oo min dhamma sukdo Yeiktha and took my first Vipassana course. My teacher there was Ven Sayadaw U Tejaniya. Through this experience I got a glimpse into mindfulness. From there I went onto Koh Payam where I met Deva Deep and Yamuna. We bonded on such a deep level I can still see them here in my heart. The series of events leading from one to another was too much of a coincidence. It seemed the Universe was helping me on my path.
 

I returned to Ireland wanting to work as a photographer and was offered work within two months of my return! I still work as a professional photographer for this company. Last year I spend many months travelling around South America. The Andean culture and people filled me with love and warmth. Especially in Peru where a family adopted me as one of their own, caring for me, minding me and loving me. For my years of traveling I have been kept safe and received everything I could need. I believe I have been kept safe from harm by putting out positive energies and receiving them in return. 

It seems to me that the Universe conspires to help us if we ask for it. Just about everything I ever needed has been available to me. And thankfully I have been fearless enough to accept it. I take the opportunities that life throws at me and try not to harm those around me in the process. I am still young, and I feel like my journey is only beginning. But what a great beginning! I believe that now is the time, there is no tomorrow and no yesterday, all we have are moments... and I try to make the most of every moment I am lucky enough to have.

(All pictures by Emma)

Blessings, love and light
Emma