Earlier this year, I left New York for what was supposed to be a 2-week retreat in the remote town of Santa Catalina, Panama.
After selling my home in New York, I had spent the previous three months staying at various places in the city, adjusting to life being “home-free.”
I was starting to feel my way through the uncharted territory of listening to my inner whisper and following my higher wisdom.
Abandoning my plans to return after two weeks and choosing to extend my stay in Panama was completely out of my blueprint. A little thrilling, yes.
And a healthy amount of fear and discomfort.
I was in my fifth week in Santa Catalina when I met Eloise.
Eloise is a 66-year-old Canadian woman who sold all her belongings and has spent the past 2 years living “home-free.”
Some people her age are looking into the future to count the years they have left. Eloise is living in the present, enjoying life. And still working.
She is an accountant with her own practice for over 30 years.
Yes, an accountant.
Lessons on Living Home-Free
I was curious about how Eloise navigated for so long without having a home base.
What secrets and tips could she share with me?
Here are 5 tips I distilled from our conversation.
Ask and Receive
Eloise told me that when she needs a place to stay, she tells people she meets, or she puts it out into the universe. Invariably, something opens up. A friend needs a house-sitter. She receives an invitation to go on a trip. Some other magic happens.
It’s easy to chalk this up to another instance of “manifesting.” Some people roll their eyes at this. So if that’s you, hold on.
The crucial part of what Eloise does is not “woo-woo.” It’s legit tactics and practical steps.
She speaks up for what she needs.
She asks.
And she is willing to receive.
When she sees an acquaintance in the supermarket and they ask “what’s new?” She doesn’t say “nothing much.” She says “the people I’m house sitting for are returning next week and I need to find a new place to stay.”
That creates an opening for people to offer her a place to stay. And then she is willing to receive and accept that offer.
This is not esoteric magic. These are practical skills.
Ask.
Speak up for what you need.
Receive.
Presence
The life of a digital nomad is often portrayed as being complete freedom and carefree. But the reality behind many of the Instagram photos you see is often one of finding grounding in the midst of uncertainty.
Eloise really seems to embody the promise of freedom.
Her secret? Presence.
Embrace the freedom of thought and of movement. Of going through life. Of the present moment.
We can get so caught up in dragging around the past or worrying about the future. Be in this moment. Appreciate this moment. Live here.
Trust what shows up.
Listen and Trust
Trust. That’s a big one.
Eloise advised me to trust that the universe takes us to where we need to be.
Sometimes we listen, but we don’t trust. This is how we create our suffering: we go against what our intuition tells us. We don’t listen to our hearts. We ignore the path laid out for us.
As Eloise said:
We can be so stubborn to ignore the doors that the universe is opening for us, thinking that there’s a better option.
We get caught up in thinking there’s a better option because we aren’t listening in the first place. When we are in the trance of worry and fear, we lose our ability to hear the inner whisper.
Release
We want to know:
What’s going to happen?
When is it going to happen?
Where is this going to lead?
What will I get from this?
What will I find?
Eloise found her freedom by letting go of those fears and concerns.
The patterns we have keep showing up in many places. We need to let go of the old beliefs and patterns to move forward.
We’re all here to align with our higher selves. Our “team” knows what the plan is. We don’t need to know.
There’s nothing to figure out. Our job is to listen and trust.
By the way, I hear you in your mind asking “who is my ‘team’?” We don’t need to know that either.
Let that opening show up, and trust the guidance.
Ask and receive.
Be present.
Listen.
Trust.
Release.
Every person we meet is a message and a messenger.
I’m listening. Are you?
Love it? Hate it? What do you think? Don't hold back...