Why I’m leaving the country
I was born in Montreal, Canada. I have always lived in Montreal. I moved to St-Agathe des Monts in 2021 for a contract, but my heart and soul are asking me to leave the country.
Why am I leaving?
2021 has been quite a journey in my life, and a year where I have grown, created, changed, and evolved in various ways. A few months after moving into my place in St-Agathe, I knew I was going to leave the following year. Where? Exactly when? How? I had no idea. I just had this knowing that I was going to leave. I can’t explain where this feeling came from, but I decided to listen to it. I started taking action and listened to this knowing or this feeling. I made it a goal. Sometimes you get intuitive feelings or knowings, telling you to do something. You don’t necessarily understand why, and truly, you don’t have to. Because if you look for answers for everything in this world to execute, you never will execute. Sometimes the answers come after, and sometimes there are no answers. Mystery can make life more fun and exciting. Many fear the unknown, while I get excited by discovery. I started executing on intuition and vocalizing that I was leaving in 2022. I may come back to Canada for various reasons, or I may never come back. I may stay in one place, or I may visit many countries. I have no idea, but an exciting feeling started emerging in me. A feeling of expansion. Lots of fear was emerging as well. We always look for ways to justify discomfort and this may hold us back. Discomfort is a way to bring you back to who you were, not who you are. Knowing that fear is normal and part of the process is reassuring. I am scared, but it’s okay. My fear will not predict my actions. I am more able to distinguish fear from intuition now (The Thin Lines book shares more tips on this!). Sometimes I’m wrong and I learn. I allow myself to be wrong and experience this thing called energy.
I am craving new environments, new beginnings, change, growth, and mostly, genuine connections with people with the same mindset as mine. Can I find people with the same mindset in Montreal? Absolutely! But why not explore other places? We are billions on this planet! Why limit? Why not explore and try? When I was pitching to investors in 2020, I did notice a difference in mindset between Montreal and other countries. Perceptions are different. Attitudes are different. Not better, not worse, just different. When we remain in the same place, this place becomes our understanding of life. I wanted to explore different mindsets and lifestyles.
While all the COVID restrictions are difficult to understand, especially in Quebec, it’s not my reason for departure. Let’s say leaving is a plus. I have worked in hospitals during the whole pandemic, and I must say that I don’t necessarily agree with all the measure in place. However, things can change anywhere, anytime. So attaching myself to an illusionary feeling of perceived freedom doesn’t seem sustainable. I just truly followed my souls’ desire. It was craving and asking me to leave.
Where am I going?
In a little less than 2 months, I will be in Miami, Florida. That’s my starting point. I have no idea of the final destination, and they may not be any. Why Florida? Again, I can’t explain. This is also the reason why I am not planning my whole journey because I’m someone who lets herself be guided by the journey. It’s extremely hard because, like all humans, I like to control. But control is an illusion. Surrendering to magic is so difficult, but so beautiful, and… magical. This time, I’m not traveling for a vacation. I’m changing my lifestyle. I have traveled to over 30 countries by now. However, I refuse to live for vacations. I am changing my life standards, for myself. I refuse to need to fly or take a plane to go to a beach. I worked very hard on my mindset, and I still am. I want to change my life. I trust the universe, and truly, I have learned to trust and believe in myself.
Do I have it all planned?
Nope. Just like starting a business. When you have an idea, you just start and figure out the rest on the way. Execution and starting is always the hardest part. The rest unfolds and you learn to adapt and figure things out along the way. I am far from blindly leaving though. I have been planning this, my mindset, my assets in Montreal, getting rid of my car, selling things, etc. I did work a lot on structuring everything in 2021 to reduce my stress during my journey. Let’s call it a calculated risk.
What will I do?
Everyone is different, but I get hyped when I create, do research, write, public speak, etc. I want to do more of this. Life is too short to do something that doesn’t make you feel as if you’re expanding. I promise to myself to be the most authentic. I promise to create and share with the world. My second book See True is also launched and made quite some noise (with close to 900K views on TikTok as I am writing this). Joulance, my vitamins, and supplements company will also launch soon. I did work a LOT in 2021 on all these projects. I do have plans for so much more, and that excites me. As mentioned, this is not a vacation, but a lifestyle change. I will take some time off in the beginning, considering all the work I did in 2021 (without any vacation). But my soul is asking to create.
Follow my journey on social media :)
I’ll be posting on
Wish me luck!
Much love.
-Stephanie El-Chakieh