In this world, there are those who know, very early, what they want to do with their lives, and then there are those, like me, who flit from one fancy to another. I have been putting myself to good use, sometimes making money and sometimes friends, by doing everything that came my way and having a good time at it. But the hunger for a calling remained.

As I recovered from my near-death experience during childbirth in 2010, the yearning turned to an urgent seeking. I threw myself at every opportunity that came my way. I meditated and prayed for clarity. None came.

A few days into my intense Panchakarma (Ayurvedic detoxification and cleansing that restores the body and mind to optimal health) I lay tossing in bed. The thoughts of my experience from three years ago kept coming to me (please read blog post ‘Finding my purpose – How it all started’). They were so strong, I had to leave my bed and wander the darkness like a possessed creature.

As I crawled back in bed, I noticed the picture above my bed. The large caption read something like:

“All incidents in your life are connected, everything happens for a reason. All is revealed in their correct sequence of space and time”

It hit me that in some mysterious way, I had been sent to Kerala, on my own transformative journey by the will or the narrative of this young British man I had never met. I too was a wandering soul, unable to find my place in the world. I had finally come home from where I could launch back into life. A real, vibrant life, not the one I was living.

I was weeping tears of gratitude as I emailed my thank you to my ex-hostess from the rural bed and breakfast (No doubt she thinks I am deranged). I was also crying in gratefulness to the employees at the retreat, who had touched me with their generous affection and complete acceptance.

I felt it was my duty to give them thanks on behalf of all those who come to Kerala and find themselves transformed by the simple Keralan hearts. That is exactly what I did for the next ten days. I hugged, kissed, sang, and wept with the employees at the retreat at every opportunity.

Disclaimer: There are lovely, lovely people in Kerala and then there are the perverts, lotharios, criminals, and such. Go for the shy and retiring ones, the ones who hide behind others and smile at you. Watch out when someone approaches you boldly and seems quite well versed in charming your pants off. They could be serial offenders who abuse tourists for a living.

Have you been to Kerala and found yourself changed for the better? Do you go back often because you find something there that speaks to your soul? I would love to read about your experience. Send me a DM on Instagram, I am super social.