Taking a Chance on Myself Took me to Paradise in Belize

Guest Blog Post by Casey Leigh Walker - November 21, 2014

I had just picked up my life and moved thousands of miles across the Caribbean ocean and immediately ran into a small world moment. I noticed a friend on Facebook was on the tiny island of Ambergris Caye at the same exact time. She was researching locations to host Reset Retreat, a women’s wellness and adventure retreat. I started looking into what Reset Retreat was about. It was ringing similar to my big move: resetting my patterns, believing in myself, and going for what I want to live life more happily.

Cierra of Reset Retreat had been following my big move from Texas and asked if I would be willing to share my story about how I came to be living in Paradise for a year teaching CrossFit.

I didn’t think it was a serious option. I had been sitting behind a computer in a thankless job for over three years. I felt stuck in my life in a lot of ways. Friends and family were moving forward in their lives, while I constantly looked for something else. I was doing something that didn’t make me happy. To ensure I had some happiness thrown in, I started to coach CrossFit on the side in the evenings and weekends. The extra work was a lot, but it filled those happiness gaps.

Unexpectedly, my CrossFit boss sent me information from an affiliate owner in Belize in search of a coach. My brain went through my typical subconscious thought, “that sounds nice, but I can’t actually do that.” But this time, I also couldn’t get this thought out of my head: “Maybe this could be me. Why not me?”

It felt like the Universe was answering my call for help to get out of my current situation and follow my dreams. I couldn’t pass up the Universe telling me what to do. I knew that by sitting stagnant, I wouldn’t be leading the life I wanted to lead. By taking the risk, it was possible that could change. I kicked the fear aside and decided it was time.

Today I woke up to an epic sunrise, let the sand squish between my toes, and helped a group become more healthy. All of my friends and family are starting to experience winter weather, and I'm running around in a bikini, climbing Mayan ruins, and working my dream job.

More important than the love of the natural beauty I’m experiencing, I’m really seeing my own inner beauty now. I'm learning that I am enough. It's silly, but sometimes we get so caught up in the little stuff, worrying about this and that, that we really stifle our believe that, individually, we are enough. There must be something in the water here. Or maybe it’s the laid back attitude that lets you see things differently.

I've always spent so much time focusing on what other people think I should do or be that I really neglected my own feelings for a long time. I got so caught up in trying to be everything to everyone, that I wasn't anything for myself. Since I've been here, I've been forced to step outside of my box on a daily basis.

Now I truly feel like I can do anything. I now embrace doing things I wouldn’t have considered before. I'm slowly uncovering my true self and the person I was meant to become, and every day I wake up, I take a second to be thankful for where I am in life right now.

There’s something about this island. I hope you’re able to see for yourself the beauty in February for Reset Retreat’s inaugural Beta Retreat.