And so we have come to an end ... the final letter of the series ‘the Malaga Diaries’. This one is a special one. It’s a tribute … to life, friends and freedom. Things we often take for granted.  

Travelling to Malaga for the 3th time was travelling in time. I was meeting a ‘blast from the past’ but I also actively experienced part of my future. And because of it, I grew such a big appreciation for the present.

And when you act from gratitude, magic finds you.

But before I can dive into that, we are going to time travel once again. In 2015, I allowed myself one year of “being busy with doing nothing”. I traded my corporate suits for hiking boots. I detached from a 120m2 loft apartment and spent my nights in hostels. I even travelled around in a van for a month.

That year, I experimented with the luxury of not knowing. I got a taste of what life could feel like when embracing total freedom. I was non-attached and therefore open to receive whatever life threw at me.

Even though I was travelling by myself, I was never alone. The people that I have met on that trip are friends until this day. That is the magic of travelling. Your experiences are so intense and when shared you create a special bond.

So my 3th time in Malaga was to be reunited with my friend ‘FloFlo’. He is French, passionate about Marseille and a brother in arms when it comes to food and wine.

I met Flo in a hostel in Sucre, Bolivia, in 2015. I remember him with his gigantic laptop, working from a lounge chair on the patio. His lifestyle was my dream. But back then, I thought it was only possible for software engineers.

Seven years have passed since we said goodbye in Bolivia. So obviously when we reunited for the week it was transformational. We both travelled back in time, we both exchanged notes on life and what it has taught us so far. And we both inspired each other. This series was his idea. Just like the seed he planted of me starting a podcast (still working on that one).

Writing this series made me realize how wonderful life is when you live it more consciously. And it reinforced my determination to build a business to help people experience the same.

And now for the magic …

Look at that view.

I have always been a dreamer. And for many years I believed dreams to be creations of our minds, stories we tell ourselves for entertainment. Until I read a quote somewhere that shifted things for me. It said: “Things are always created twice. First in the mind. Then in reality”.

What if this was true? What if my dreams are ideas in the making? What if my visualizations are roadmaps that I can reverse engineer into the present?

That view is part of my dreamhouse. I have a cristal clear picture of the kind of house I want. And I know I will own it one day. I just don’t know where it will be or when I will move in. But I know I will one day.  Every day I travel to that house. I sit on the couch with my ocean view. I have dinner at my large 12 person dining table with friends and an ocean view as a backdrop.

So waking-up and having my morning tea has felt like an absolute privilege that week. Every day that view reminded me of how amazing life is. That nothing is impossible. And how magic will follow you everywhere once you decide to live from the heart.

That view, the conversations on the terrace and reconnecting with a like minded “dreamer” has been an absolute dream come true. What I journaled about in my diary in 2015 has unfolded magically into my present day. And because of that I am so freaking excited for the next few years.

The things we do today determine the world we wake-up in tomorrow (or in 7 years, but tomorrow sounds better).

Let this final story inspire you to reach-out to your soul sisters and brothers. Organize get-togethers, dream big, dream together and help each other succeed! That is how magic works. Competition will slow it down. But genuine hearts and souls always have a head start.

I am spending my final weekend in Spain before heading back to the Netherlands and pack-up my life. This week was BIG for me. I have been feeling a range of emotions. I am finally coming home because I have created a space for myself where it feels safe, always! This is not in things or places. It is in my mind, my thoughts, my feelings and my dreams.

This is what becoming unstoppable is about. Navigating life without losing yourself. Learning to feel safe with yourself, no matter what life throws at you. And once you do, to give back to the world so others can experience the same.

And as always, feel free to share your thoughts, dreams and words. Because they hold magic once you do.

Sending you so much love!

Ines

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