Create Sacred Space Wherever You Are

Mid-November 2024, JD and I touched down in Split, Croatia, dragging behind us more than just suitcases.

This was a big shift in our lives, uprooting from our already somewhat unconventional life bouncing around the US and Ontario, Canada for the last 8 years to begin this dream of living aboard a sailboat.

We carried excitement, but also the weight of logistics, plans, and the fragile thread of everything that could go wrong when you move to another part of the world with everything you have. 

And one thing did.

Somewhere between Toronto and Split, the airline lost Jeff’s luggage. Half of what we thought we needed was gone which wasn't a huge deal all except that my wedding ring was in there.

I’d accidentally left in a little shave kit in his bag.

So. Dumb. 

We took an Uber to our Airbnb in Podstrana, a small coastal town south of Split. But despite this picture perfect setting, I couldn’t shake the tension. 

Four days of calls, prayers to the equally unresponsive gods of lost luggage, I was in an emotional rut.

But then I realized, somewhere in that fog, that it wasn’t just the lost wedding ring eating at me. It was the lack of a tether - a grounding, a space where I could breathe, believe, and settle into what we were doing.

Our Airbnb couldn't just be a random home anymore; it needed to become something more... sacred.

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The Groove of Beginnings

Beginnings are everything. They carve the groove that your journey runs along, for better or worse. Let the chaos of a rocky start linger, and it can seep into every step you take.

I felt that groove forming as those first days unfolded. Worry, frustration, regret - all bubbling under the surface, my patient husband trying to bring me out of my funk while I’d imagine also saying to himself “ya, you shouldn't have done that.”  

I knew if I didn’t intervene on my energy, it would follow us through every mile of the journey ahead. So I decided a great place to start would be to turn this Airbnb into a sacred space.

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Sacred Spaces Aren’t About Permanence

There’s this idea that sacredness is tied to permanence - that you need roots, long-standing tradition or familiarity to create something meaningful. That’s just not true. Sacredness is about intention. It’s about what you bring into the space, not what the space gives you.

We didn’t have much, but I found a candle, pulled out the incense I only use for Kambo ceremonies, and set up a small corner for journaling.

I made the host’s available instant coffee each morning with the same deliberate care I would back home praying into it my intention for peace, success and awe. 

These tiny rituals transformed the already beautiful Airbnb into something personally sacred. Almost immediately, I felt my energy shift.

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Rituals Anchor You to the Present

When everything feels like it’s unraveling, rituals are the threads that hold you together. They don’t have to be elaborate. 

For me, it was having coffee and sitting in my corner each morning, letting the Adriatic glow through the window. I’d breathe and remind myself why we were here: to live intentionally, to embrace this adventurous new chapter, chaos and all.

These moments became anchors in my personal storm, turning a waiting game into something more purposeful. I couldn’t control the location of my wedding ring, but I could control how I showed up to my morning ritual - and that made all the difference.

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How to Turn a Space Into a Portal

Whether you’re living out of a suitcase or transitioning through a liminal phase in life, your space can ground you - or it can unmoor you. It’s a choice. Here’s how to make that space a portal to the life you want to create:

• Pack for Presence
  Don’t just pack practically; pack intentionally. A favorite book, a candle, or even a scarf can transform an unfamiliar room into a place that feels like yours.
• Carve Out Rituals
  Create achievable routines that bring calm and clarity. It could be as simple as lighting a candle at sunset, journaling in the morning, or savoring a meal without distractions.
• Bring in Nature
  Nature doesn’t need to be elaborate. Open a window, place a flower on the table, or collect a small memento from your surroundings. These elements root you to where you are.
• Define Zones
  Even in a single room, you can create spaces for specific purposes: a chair for reading, a desk for work, a corner for reflection. These boundaries bring order to chaos. Clear off a space and make it yours. 
• Integrate Local Flavor
  Add touches of where you are - a market-bought fruit, a seashell from the beach, or even just the air through an open window. Let the space connect you to your journey.

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The Groove Reset

By the time Jeff’s luggage arrived on day four, I realized I didn’t care as much anymore. Yes, I was relieved to have my ring back, but the energy had already shifted. 

I’d found clarity in the chaos, not despite the loss but because of it. That Airbnb, in all its impermanence, had become a portal - a place where I could feel grounded, whole, and ready for whatever came next.

As the sun dipped into the Adriatic that evening, we sat on the balcony, drinking Croatian beer watching the few remaining off-season locals walk by. 

It was the feeling of having created something sacred within the temporary is a lesson I’d carry with me long after we moved on.

Sometimes, growth in the journey begins not when you’re ready, but when you decide to make where you are enough.

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