Magic in Pisac: A Spiritual Journey Through Peru’s Sacred Valley How one unexpected trip led to shamans, sacred sites, and ancient Inca wisdom I always feel a special connection to Pisac, Peru, in the Sacred valley. I first visited in 1997, came back in 2024 for a [...]
The past few weeks felt like one big movement. Three days of travel from New Zealand to Miami when my father got sick and my sister ended up in the hospital. All travel plans cancelled, just go. And then the complete opposite, sick in bed in Amsterdam, followed by deep slowing down on my land in Puglia. All the way to the level of the stones deep in the earth. Nothing to do. Just being, feeling and listening. That contrast showed me again what freedom really means to me. Not only being able to go when needed, but also being able to stay. To slow down. To choose. In this Inspiration Shot I take you into both worlds, and invite you to reflect, how free are you in practice?
The past seven weeks I have stayed in one place! At the beautiful Highden estate in New Zealand, for the Temple Training. I only left the land twice, once to get groceries and once for a small excursion. Therefore this inspiration shot has a slightly different format than usual. I slowed everything down, really landed, am less in my head and more in my body. Still deeply connected to Highden, the Mystery School. At the same time I already notice how the transition back to the 'normal world' immediately brings a few rollercoasters and tests. More on that below. I will try to translate what I learned into something that is also useful in everyday life. I hope at least one of these reflections will resonate with you, make you think, and perhaps open up a new insight.
A mystery school is an ancient spiritual tradition devoted to initiation and the awakening of human consciousness. Found in many cultures, from the temples of Egypt and Greece to the inner teachings of East and West, mystery schools were places where seekers gathered to explore the deeper laws of life, the nature of the soul, and humanity’s role in the cosmos. Their purpose was not simply study, but transformation. They guided individuals and groups through experiences that revealed deeper levels of wisdom, purpose, and service to the world.
I have finally landed at my destination, Highden Temple; the Mystery School. My suitcase is unpacked. And for the first time in 20 years, I am staying in one place for six weeks. But before that, I had exhausted myself with an absurd travel schedule. Sounds familiar? In this Inspiration Shot I share insights about having your feet on the ground, practical tips for the Pacific in case you ever want to travel this way, and I invite you to reflect on this question: Where are you still overcompensating before allowing yourself to rest?
What makes someone leave everything behind, buy a round the world ticket, and enter a six week temple training in New Zealand without fully knowing what will happen there? This is not a travel story. It is not even a spiritual story. It is the story of a calling. Of clearing old layers. Of moving from survival into something deeper. And of stepping through gates that might protect sanity in a world that feels increasingly insane.
Samoa is incredibly lush, green and affordable. It feels undiscovered and is unbelievably beautiful. It feels like the Caribbean thirty years ago, before mass tourism and polished resorts took over. The islands are volcanic and wild. Green everywhere. Color everywhere. Life everywhere.But nature is not what steals the show here. The people do.
There has always been a sense of urgency around food in my life. You can explain behavior through your experiences, your childhood, your family, and your choices. And sometimes that explanation still does not touch the core. Some patterns refuse to stay neatly inside this lifetime. They show up as obsessions, impulses, or fears that feel out of proportion. Like my relationship with food. This blog is about hunger, safety, and control. About experiences in this life, inherited memory, and past lives. About the moment I realized that to understand my food obsession, I had to look far beyond my own history.
Over the past few weeks, it felt as if everything came together at exactly the right moment. Between an outrageously expensive New Year’s party I chose to walk out of before midnight, a list of magical moments on my phone, and tying up loose ends as I prepare for a six-week Temple Training in New Zealand. Since making that decision, my life seems to be organising itself. Saying ‘no' more often. Carrying less. Creating more space. In this Inspiration shot, I share a few concrete moments where this became visible, maybe you will recognise something of yourself in them.
This blog is about official round-the-world tickets that already exist. All you have to do is understand the rules and use them intelligently. I am currently traveling on such a ticket myself. I flew the first four flights in the highly sought-after Qatar Q-suites. I even received a pyjama on every flight. I still can’t quite believe it, so much value for such a relatively low price. Because I get so many questions about this, I explain here how it works.
