- Brittny Love
Don't Make Big Plans and Use Your Intuition When Traveling
After visiting some friends in Alamosa, New Mexico, I headed out from their place with my son and had the intention of visiting the Lama Foundation for the weekend. I ended up spending a longer time than expected in town, attempting to get my wireless internet device activated. It was late in the evening when everything was finally sorted, so I stepped into nearby KOA to see about camping there for the night. The woman behind the counter told me it was a pricy $35 and the camp ground wasn’t that great. As I stood there contemplating to leave or stay, she looked up at me and said their system just went down… a clear sign from the universe to keep rolling.
We got back on the road and headed south toward Taos. About an hour into the drive, I noticed a sign that said Recreational Site, so I pulled over to check it out. There were several families camping and fishing around a small lake and there weren’t any fee signs. I couldn’t believe it! Had we just found a gorgeous free spot to camp for the night that easy?? I talked to a fisherman and he confirmed the lake was free to camp at.
I collected firewood around the area and when my son fell asleep, I enjoyed a nice fire on the water’s edge and had a hot cup of tea. The next morning a fellow traveler walking along the lake stopped to say hello. His name was Scott and he shared he’d been on the road for eight months, starting from New York. He told me he’d just come from some hot springs which weren’t far away and recommended we check them out. I agreed that sounded like a good idea and Scott drew me a map to find them.
I packed up our things and headed to the Gorge River Valley. I found the spot no problem. The river in the canyon was incredibly gorgeous and there were plenty of people out enjoying the day. I hiked down with my son, Sirian, to the hot springs and we enjoyed a soak together. We then went to the river to play where a section of it had been dammed up with rocks so children could safely enjoy the water. It was there I met a beautiful woman with unique tattoos and sea shell earrings. We introduced ourselves and talked briefly, but then I followed my active toddler out into the water. I had intended on camping there for the night, but huge thunder clouds were on the horizon and I didn’t want to get stuck on muddy roads. I spoke with a man who was there with his family about perhaps getting a hotel in town for the night but he recommended we try the local hostel…
Before the rain hit, we packed up our things and arrived to the beautiful town of Taos. As I drove down the main street, my intuition urged me to stop and take Sirian to the unique play place and toy store, Twirl. We hung out there for over an hour and was about to leave when the woman from the river unexpectedly showed up with her nephew. The two of us ended up going into a deep conversation about traveling and trusting the universe. She’d traveled the world and gave me a lot of good tips and websites to check out. As I got up to leave and gave her a hug goodbye, she said, “Hold on, I want to give you something.” The woman pulled out a $100 bill and told me she wanted me to have it. I couldn’t believe it! Her kind offering seriously made me cry and I felt so touched… The woman shared that someone had helped her while she was traveling and she wanted to do the same for me. Sometimes things happen in life that just completely blow your mind - this was one of those days! I was truly reminded how powerful one’s intuition is and to always trust in it!
I decided to check out the hostel that afternoon and the man was right, it was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had! I want to share more, but you’ll have to wait for part two of my book series - hehe!
If you’re interested in checking out my first book, Diary of a Starseed, it’s available here: