For me, there is nothing more beautiful nor more constant than the sky. Looking up and taking in the gorgeous expanse above is rejuvenating in a way nothing else can be. It has always felt both important and elusive. As if it holds a secret I have yet to uncover . . . but search for still.

From the beginnings of my memory, I have always loved spending hours staring up at the clouds drifting idly overhead. In them I could feel the hugeness of the places I had yet to go, of the things I had yet to do, or learn, or try. I have always wanted to experience everything.

So in December of 2021, together with my incomparable partner Jenna, we left behind our home in Los Angeles to see what this wide world had to offer.

It has been over a year since we began. In every moment I still feel how monumental this time in my life is. I work to remain present, to drink in the reality of my childhood daydreams.

I have now skidded through melting snow searching for waterfalls in Oregon. I’ve clamored over sun-soaked red rocks in Colorado. I’ve walked the cobblestoned lanes of England, seen the sweeping countryside of Germany, and plunged into the icy North Sea in Scotland. I have watched the seasons change in Norwegian forests, and met people from around the world who now reside permanently in my heart.

But in all these beautiful places, I have breathed in gratitude and the sky has responded. Always there. The only thing I had to do was make the choice to look up.

While I’m far from unraveling all the mysteries of the heavens . . . that choice has taught me a valuable lesson.

No matter where I am in the world, or in life, all I have to do is to make the choice to share the beauty of who I am.

I am as constant as the sky.

Surroundings can change and weather can shift. Where I am does not matter. Living life intentionally is always a choice I can make.

In all moments I have the option to marvel at the beauty of the world without judgement. I have the choice to create space for connection that isn’t built around old ballasts of what I think should be. I can open myself to the new while granting grace to recover from the old. I am always able to receive joy from what others find joyous and meet each moment with honest revelry for all it could be.

Because the choice to experience everything in every moment is my own. It is always available to me if I seek it, just like the sky.

I only need to open myself and look up.

Leean Gill

Leean Gill, Soultype 9, is a student in the NEATO Level 3 – New Equations Certified Teacher program. Leean is from sun-soaked California, USA, and is currently traveling the world while writing, drawing, and collecting incredible experiences from all over.