life in transformation
the death of one is life for other: a message from the monteverde cloud forest.
the hummingbirds flew so close i could feel the air from their little wings caress my face. there were dozens of them, all different species that lived in the monteverde cloud forests.
costa rica is one of the most biodiverse places in the world. according to a teenage bird watcher who was snapping photos next to me, hummingbirds have some of the wildest names.
violet sabrewing, green hermit, and purple-throated mountain gem were just a few of the many species that flew around us. too many to count.
the days leading up to this experience were kind of shit. from getting the worst haircut of my life right before my 34th birthday to having near-death plane experience (the weather got so dangerous our pilot had to land in another country). yeah, my first days in costa rica weren’t exactly pleasant.
i came here to get away from the sadness and heartache i felt back home. you see, i’ve been on a nomadic journey for the past few months. my last adventure was in argentina, and if you read my previous letters, you’d know that it was a dream come true. from hiking the mountains of patagonia, walking through glaciers, and taking poetry workshops in buenos aires, it was everything i could have dreamed of.
until the call.
that dreaded phone call changed everything.
there was a family emergency that required me to drop everything, leave the beautiful buenos aires apartment i had already paid for, cross the equator back up north, and witness the passing of one of my greatest loves, mi abuelo.
he was my life mentor, my protector, and the backbone of our family. so much of my strength comes from him, and now he’s gone.
the weeks i spent back home were extremely painful: fights with the family, funeral services, and no real space for me to grieve.
over a month passed and the time came for me to leave, my eyes set on costa rica. this new adventure was meant to be a rebirth. when shit kept going sideways during my first week in the country, i was determined to keep my head afloat.
no test could dim the light in my heart, because i knew that as soon as i left the capital and headed towards the mountains, all would be well.
dicho y hecho.
the four-hour drive to monteverde was a moving meditation filled with the scenery my heart craved. i put on jenna zoe’s podcast to get my mind straight. her voice is so soothing and her messaging so fucking good. here’s some of the episodes i binged:
by the time i arrived at monteverde, i was so ready to hit the mountain. i prepped and rested for an early morning in the cloud forest.
trees have always spoken to me. i wondered what wisdom they would whisper in my ear that morning. as i sipped on local coffee, i wrote in my journal:
today i get to walk among the trees and listen to their melodies. what tunes will these tropical beauties sing for me?
the air was crisp and their music was vibrant with life. my legs moved on their own as i took it all in. the fauna was rich with life. i couldn’t help but feel rich among them, my own vitality pulsing through the mountains. a forest fairy in her natural habitat.
i stopped for curiosities: the singing of birds, waterfalls moving in the distance, and the aerial roots of ancient trees hanging above me.
(ps: some trees produce aerial roots which stem from branches and grow above ground, absorbing nutrients directly from the air. they also serve as natural bridges for wildlife. pretty cool.)
park rangers had laid out a handful of messages throughout the trails, each seemingly made for me and only me—like they knew my hurt and were eager to heal it.
this last one, titled “an opportunity for life,” struck me the most.
la muerte de uno es vida para otros. aquí la muerte no existe, sino que es la vida que se transforma.
the death of one is life for other. here death does not exist, only life in transformation.
i felt life transforming within me. it felt like an opportunity. a renewal.
just as the trees that fall in the depths of this forest, my abuelo’s life gave life to me in return.
so that i get to experience the magic of creation and accept my part in it. so that he can walk among the stars and i across the land and together witness all the beauty the universe has to offer. so that we can rejoice in oneness and know we are being held by the fabric of love.
here’s to life in transformation.
xo,
moonlight.
more from dear moonlight
beautiful