Letter 189

Welcome back – it’s been a while. Almost an entire year since I last posted a blog, and even then, I’d only posted 3 in that year. I used to be so excited and inspired by documenting my travels, and covid really took the wind out of my sails. However, the last 8 months have seen me travel to a few different countries and experience life as a nomad for the first time. After waiting out the worst of the pandemic, I’m now embracing my new life and enjoying every second.

The quick run-down:

• In May I was hired as a remote designer for the project in Belize I volunteered for
• I worked part-time until I completed my master’s in August
• In September my long-term relationship broke-down
• 2 days later I moved out and ran off to live in Porto for a month (the best thing I’ve ever done)
• In November I flew out to Belize to work on-site and really settled into my role
• In December I holidayed in Belize with my mum for Christmas and then Mexico with my best friend for New Year
• For the last two months I’ve been working hard and enjoying Belize

Basically, my life got flipped upside down, everything changed, and it turned out to be the best thing for me. Not everything is perfect of course, but I don’t think I could be happier.

Living in Porto for that first month alone was the best thing for me. It’s my favourite place in the world, even more so now, and it was so healing. I have a place booked for a month this year in April and I couldn’t be more excited to go back. I intend to write about it in more detail in another post (who knows if I will – my track record right now is poor).

My job here in Belize is teaching me so much. I have a lot of responsibility, have worked on nearly 20 design projects and have made some great friends. I also get to live in Belize which is a dream. I’m very lucky. I do live pretty isolated in a community where the average age is about 70, but it’s still been a blast. I already have plans to come back and I’m feeling stronger and stronger in my role as senior designer every day.

I’m living the life I’d always wanted for myself but never really believed I would have. I get to work in a beautiful country in the tropics designing houses everyday, and when I’m not here, I can work remotely wherever I want. I leave Belize at the end of March which I will be equal parts happy and sad about. I’m excited to get back home, see friends and family, and do some amazing things in Europe. However, I will miss Belize and my people here so much.

Hopefully I’ll get to writing more on here, but I just wanted update this poor neglected site. The world has been crazy over the past two years, and continues to get crazier, but I’m living in my corner of it pretty happily. I only hope everything else settles down soon.

From Lou