Following Your Heart

China was the first time in my life that I remember following my heart. It was the first time I didn't let fear stop me from doing what I love. It was the first time, I said yes to my soul, and embraced all life had to give me.

As I was leaving, I knew I would have to face my demons and my deepest fears if I wanted to change. There would be no other way. The path was going within and facing my inner darkness.

During that year, I immersed myself deeply into the unknown. I explored the parts of my psyche I had lost. I ventured in the world in search of peace within.

The first fear I faced was traveling by myself, something I had always wanted to do. But the idea of being the sole responsible for my life terrified me.

For whenever you travel alone, you never know what will happen. You are at the mercy of life, your heart, and your inner guidance. These are times where you need to trust yourself more than ever before.

Pingyao was the first place I chose to travel alone to. One of the oldest cities in China, a place that had withstood the tests of time. Walls filled with memories and history.

The hardest part whenever I travel alone, is the moment I leave. This is when I must stand firm and trust that I will be comfortable in the center of uncertainty.

Walking into Pingyao was like walking into a dream, a dream that was thousands of years old. I was going back in time as I walked through these timeless streets.

Of course, tourism had found its way there, but the spirit of the city remained. You could feel like you were walking into another world. A culture completely different than the one you had been born in.

I met many people who guided me on my journey. Locals that had lived there all their life, delighted to meet a foreigner interested in learning from them.

As they walked me through the city and invited me into their world, I realized how little I knew, and how vast the human experience could be. I was struck in awe at this ancient place and how long it had endured the trials of time.

I left France in search of meaning and of a cure to my suffering. I knew at that moment, that the solution would be ancient. That I would find answers to my quest by leaving all I knew behind, and immersing myself in old wisdom.

It is through facing my fears and my discomforts that I realized who I was. Not the shell I had grown up to be. But the ancient and timeless essence that exists within me, and within each of us.

In such moments of remembrance, we are shown what our heart truly desires. For me, I realized that I wanted to explore the depth of my being. To understand what makes us evolve and how to live a meaningful life.

6 years later, I am still following this path. But it all started with a first step. A first journey into the unknown.

That year, and all its experiences, initiated my heart and soul to the true purpose of my life. They awakened me to who I was and who I would become.

I hope you find the courage and inspiration to follow what you feel called to. Life is much more wild and unpredictable for those who venture beyond the walls of what they know.

As you follow your heart, you will one day realize, that there was never another way to live. 

You were just waiting to remember.