Maya Blue

I caught myself day dreaming yesterday afternoon about my free spirit. I was doing an exposure in one of the vehicles here where I hold onto the steering wheel and shifter. It snowed earlier this week so the scenery is gorgeous. As I sat in the driver's seat, I got lost in my thoughts....happy thoughts, happy memories. I caught a vision of my future, fueled by freedom, understanding, and movement. It's like I'm learning to fall in love all over again with life....my life.

When I backpacked up the East Coast of Australia by myself in 2004, towards the very end of my adventure, I traveled to a rugged paradise called Cape Tribulation. If I remember correctly, it was about 100 miles north of Cairns, and the furthest north I could travel at that point. I stayed at a hostel tucked beneath the vibrant leaves of the rain forest. It was a secret garden of sorts with modest hostel bungalows which all opened up to the outdoors. The cape was a calming, peaceful entanglement of the sea and the forest.

I met a little girl who left an impression on my heart that I never want to forget. She was a free spirit. The most beautiful free spirit I've ever met. She exuded innocence, freedom, curiosity, passion and love. My heart melts just thinking about her. Her name was Maya Blue (as in the month of May-ah). She was four. The first time I saw her, she was barefoot and beautiful. She was scurrying around the hostel grounds in her knee-length, flowy skirt and light colored tank top introducing herself to backpackers and asking questions that brought smiles to even the weariest of travelers. Everyone knew her. She had tangled, blond curls that fell uninhibited to the middle of her back and her eyes were captivating. When she saw me walking past the small hostel swimming pool, she ran to me, grabbed my hand and said, "Hi, I'm Maya Blue. Will you take me swimming?" Later that day she and I swam, and her giggles touched a part of my soul that inspired me to live as a free spirit the way she did. Over the next few days that I was there I spent quite a bit of time with Maya Blue. She showed me her favorite worn out tree swing, the river she liked to fish in, the beach where she played in the sand. She was beautiful. Her free spirit precious. She loved life.

I'm learning to fall in love with life all over again.