Swimming against the current: Reflections of a land mermaid

There are days when life feels like a balancing act.

Between school, work, family and the personal dreams I refuse to let go of...it can get overwhelming.

I'm starting my fifth semester in Alternative tourism management, while at the same time working hard to grow my tour business, get our small hacienda on more peoples radar, writing this blog, and doing my best to give my two boys a good life. Add to that the fact that life is expensive nowadays, and with seasonal jobs like ours, things don't always feel stable. There are moments when I question everything, moments when I feel like I'm juggling too many things at once.

You can imagine my mornings are hectic, and very focused on my boys. Even in the ever changing ocean that is our life, small moments like having breakfast together, or sharing a hug before school offers us some sense of structure, which we all need. My children are my motor. Everything I do, I do so that when they are older, they can look back and be proud of their mom, and so that they remember I never gave up, so that no matter what hardships life throws at them, they can get through it

We may not have a perfect life, and I'm not even close to being the perfect mom, but that's OK, because in every tiny moment we share, when we laugh together the crazy world around us stops for a second and just let's us be.

Sometimes, after dropping the kids off at school, I sit in the car, going through the endless to-do list, half laughing, half on the verge of tears asking myself... Why the hell am I doing all this? But then I remind myself it's because I have a vision. Because I want to build something that matters, for me, for my family and for the people who come here looking for a deeper connection with nature.

Being a woman on this path comes with it's own set of challenges. Society often tells us to choose one role, one label. But I don't want to be "just" a student, "just a mother", or "just a business owner". I want to be all of those, in the best way I can. And yeah, sometimes it feels heavy. Sometimes I collapse into bed at night wondering how I'll manage to keep going. But I always get up again, because dreams deserve to become goals, and goals deserve to be achieved.

If you're reading this and you've ever felt it's too late to start working toward something, or changing something in your life, let this be a gentle reminder that it's never too late. Yes, it will take sacrifice, yes, there will be sleepless nights, and yes, sometimes your self doubt will be so overwhelming you will want to quit. But don't let that stop you. Because when you keep showing up, day after day, step by step, you'll look back one day and realize, You did it!

And above all, don't forget yourself in the process. Your dreams matter, your joy matters. The world needs more dreamers, more people who dare to try, even when it's hard.

So keep going. Keep dreaming. And keep turning those dreams in to goals...because with effort, perseverance and heart...they are well within reach.

With salty skin and a heart full of hope,

Sirena