I am at the halfway point of my visit home. I love this moment because I have finally shaken off jet lag and am settling comfortably into the rhythms and routines of Sri Lanka which could not be more different to those in the US.

I love being home to bring in a brand-new year because the distance from my life in America gives me the space I need to reflect on the previous year and get clear about what I want to manifest in the new one, personally and professionally. Sometimes it is hard to envision the future we dream about because the present is full, busy and requires attention leaving little time for dreaming…and yet, dreams are vital to create an intentionally meaningful life.

A dream I have nurtured is one that has me creating a home that spans the globe, living in Sri Lanka AND America. But usually, after 6 months in Denver I start to question this dream for my not-too-distant future. The two worlds are not just on opposite sides of the world but are diametrically opposed in pretty much everything! I have learned from my annual trip back home over the years that all I need is one full day in Sri Lanka to settle right back in. It’s like riding a bicycle – it just comes back to you.

I love my life in Denver and am always happy to return, but there is something about being HOME home, especially in Kandy or on the beach, when I notice a physical and mental shift. Navigating day to day life is harder here and logistics are more confusing when living with family in a communal culture, but my neck and back are not as stiff as they are in the US, my breath is smoother and longer and my thoughts seem less frenetic. I release an inner hold that I have when living in America, a bracing of sorts, perhaps because I feel I am still a foreigner, a minority in a foreign land. Whatever it is, the release that I experience when I come back here is life affirming and fills me with energy to envision and create the future I desire.

I am still defining and refining my goals for the year. As we step in to 2024 what dreams are your doubting? And what small taste of it do you need to re-commit more deeply to manifesting it into being?