To all the naysayers

I have always lived my life in my own terms.

Despite the naysayers, the religious people, and even my own family, I have always had my mind on my own. 

"Africa is too dangerous."

I travelled to Madagascar, South Africa and Senegal in my twenties. Travelling to those countries opened my eyes and helped me learn so much from the world. 

"Why did you leave church?"

I left an spiritual abusive church and a system of thought that was soul crushing and mind boggling in so many ways. It has been by far one of the most difficult things I have gone through.

"You can't do it on your own," they said. "Why are you leaving everything behind?" 

I moved to Canada alone at 18 and moved to Costa Rica on my own at 27. Got a bachelors degree in Canada and I am working at a job in Costa Rica that fulfills my purpose on earth. 

"Why don't you have a boyfriend? It must be so dull."

I took Summer courses in Cambridge University and University of London and had the chance to meet interesting people around the world. I embraced my freedom in my late 20s and pursued my interests fiercely.

"He is too old, he might be married."

And I married a University professor (he is not that old btw...mid 30s) who teaches sculpture at Costa Rica's largest university and makes me breakfast everyday. 

"Why don't you get married in a hotel? It will be much easier."

And I got married in a forest, in a volcano in a Vera Wang dress, with my closest friends, a string quartet and Salvadoran artesanal ice-cream at my wedding. Just like I wanted it to be. 

"When will you have babies?"

Just stop. Seriously. Stop. We have been married for only 8 months and we are in the middle of a pandemic. I am getting my Masters degree in Education and babies are still not part of the equation. 

In my 31 years of existence, one thing that I have learned is that no one else will live your life. Naysayers are often people who are not courageous enough to live out their own lives. They are often sad people who judge your life to make themselves to feel better. 

Life is too short to allow such people to push you back. 

People should just let other people be.