Do you believe in signs? That things happen to guide you a certain way? I always kind of have, but to be honest felt a little silly about it. Which probably meant that I didn’t actually believe, that I had a slight inkling but didn’t actually trust in them. Lately, though, I have really opened up my heart and mind to the signs I see in my life. I am both accepting and embracing them, using them not only to guide me but also to give me confidence in my choices.

In almost every part of the world, the Dragonfly symbolizes change, transformation, adaptability, and self-realization.

If that’s not a sign, I don’t know what is!

If you want to read the information I found, head here https://www.dragonfly-site.com/red-dragonfly.html and here https://dragonflytransitions.com/why-the-dragonfly/

I could go back a couple decades to explain the various things that have gotten me to this point and these decisions in my life, but in respect to your time and my fingertips I’ll go back just a few months instead.

First was the ultimate decision that we were definitely going to make this radical life change: we were going to become nomads. I had talked about it, researched it, told myself and some people we were going to do it, but it wasn’t for sure. We’ve all done it: talk about, dream about something endlessly but not actually follow it through. I had to figure out the logistics, decide when would be best for my daycare clients for me to close, find the right time. But is there ever a right time for up-ending your life and starting fresh in a whole new way?? Well, here comes the sign: I run a home daycare which has remained at least steady if not always bringing in top dollar. My clients have been loyal and reliable, several of them with a second child in my care. However, within a one-week period I found out that of my five clients, two would be leaving for preschool and another was expecting so would be leaving when maternity leave started. Which meant I would have one full-time and one part-time client, definitely not enough to cover the bills. When I got the third notification I sat down and thought, “what the hell am I going to do?!” And then I realized, it was all a sign. This was the right time I was looking for. It was a good run with a very amicable ending; I followed the signs and took the leap. And when I notified my last clients, they were not only understanding but excited for me.

Next was the short-term stay I found for next summer. I had been thinking about and looking into various accomodation options with all the research I was doing for the Canada chapters of our nomadic journey, but hadn’t set on anything specific. One morning my Mom informed me that we have to be in Ontario for six months a year in order to qualify for OHIP (find the exact information here https://www.ontario.ca/page/ohip-coverage-while-outside-canada). Wanting to avoid as much of Canadian winters as I can, I decided the best months for our Ontario living would be May to October. THAT afternoon I was looking for short-term rentals in my current area and, lo and behold, up pops a beautiful and incredibly affordable cottage – and guess when it was available? May to October!! That’s gotta be a sign, right? It seemed almost too good to be true, but when visiting the cottage I found it was even better than I imagined: an absolutely perfect place that was exactly what I was looking for without even knowing it.

“You can ask the universe for all the signs you want but ultimately, we see what we want to see when we’re ready to see it.”

And so I am following the signs, running towards them as they help me reach my goals. One I am following at the moment is more a pull than a sign, something whispering and nudging me. In doing research for our travels I have found endless places that I want to visit and the decision of where to start seemed impossible. But then I felt that nudging and heard the whisper “Greece”. I am letting that nudge become a guide and giving the whisper a real voice. Greece will be our first overseas adventure, and I am pretty confident that about 8 months from now you will be reading a post about how glad I am I listened to that sign.

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What did Ted Mosby say? “You can ask the universe for all the signs you want but ultimately, we see what we want to see when we’re ready to see it.” Sometimes sitcoms can be very inciteful… So maybe it’s not that I’m opening my heart and mind to the signs, but instead choosing to see the positive. To implement my positive outlook system (link to other blog post). Maybe it’s because I actually feel confident that I am able to see and embrace these signs. Regardless of how I put it or the reasoning behind it, though, opening my heart and mind to the signs is definitely helping make my life extraordinary.