I Belong to This Earth
Reflections from a camping trip, a return home, and a growing trust in life
Over the last few days I have been camping with my three girls, mostly off-grid, spending time in nature, walking, swimming, exploring caves, climbing, and living at a slower pace.
What I thought would be a family trip became an unexpected lesson in belonging, abundance, gratitude, and trust.
Feeling Like an Outsider
At the family festival campsite, I often felt like an outsider.
I looked around and saw families, couples, campervans, confidence, and what appeared to be ease. I noticed myself comparing my life to the lives of others. As a single mother, managing a large tent, three children, and all the practicalities myself, I became very aware of my differences.
Yet the remarkable thing was that I stayed.
Instead of leaving, withdrawing, or shrinking, I stayed.
I repeatedly reminded myself:
I belong to this earth just as much as everyone else.
At first, I was saying it to comfort myself.
Then something shifted.
A Practice of Belonging
I found myself repeating the phrase throughout the day.
While walking around the campsite.
While walking to the swimming pool.
While passing strangers.
While looking at people whose lives appeared completely different from mine.
Gradually, I realised the phrase was no longer only about me.
It became:
They belong to this earth just as much as everyone else.
And so do I.
The comparison softened.
The judgement softened.
The hierarchy disappeared.
I stopped wondering who had more money, who was more successful, who looked more confident, or who belonged more.
Instead, I began to see human beings.
Everyone carrying a story.
Everyone carrying hopes, fears, dreams, griefs, and challenges.
The practice became one of mindful love and compassion.
For others.
And for myself.
Coming Home
When I returned home, I was overwhelmed with gratitude.
Not for extraordinary things.
For ordinary things.
The bath.
The washing machine.
Clean water.
The fridge.
The garden.
The sofa.
My plants.
My kitchen.
A cup of tea.
The possibility of watching a film.
The possibility of doing yoga in my own home.
I looked around and thought:
I cannot believe I have built this.
For a moment, I stopped seeing bills, responsibilities, and future worries.
I simply saw my home.
And it felt abundant.
The Relationship Between Nature and Comfort
One of the clearest insights from the trip was that I do not want to reject modern life.
Nor do I want to live entirely inside it.
I want both.
Nature and comfort.
Silence and connection.
Trees and Wi-Fi.
Birdsong and meaningful work.
A garden and intellectual stimulation.
It reminded me of a dream I have carried since I was young: living closely with nature while continuing to learn, teach, create, and contribute.
Money, Trust and Unexpected Enquiries
One of the most interesting experiences occurred while I was away.
During the very week that I consciously decided to trust life more, several new client enquiries arrived.
Nothing dramatic had changed.
I had not launched a major marketing campaign.
I had not suddenly become a different person.
And yet opportunities appeared.
I do not experience this primarily as a lesson in manifestation.
I experience it as a lesson in trust.
A reminder that I can do my part while allowing life to do its part.
A reminder that constant worry is not the same thing as responsibility.
The Question of Enough
One question followed me throughout the trip:
How much is enough?
Not only financially.
Emotionally.
Professionally.
Personally.
I realised that my goal is not maximum productivity.
My goal is a balanced life.
A life that contains:
meaningful work
time with my daughters
nature
creativity
contribution
freedom
rest
financial stability
Enough.
What I Am Learning
I am learning that gratitude comes and goes.
I take things for granted and then remember them again.
I fall back into old habits of calculating, worrying, and preparing.
And then I remember.
I remember the house I once dreamed of.
The children I longed for.
The work I worked hard to create.
The opportunities arriving in front of me.
The life I have already built.
Most importantly, I am learning that perhaps belonging is not something that has to be earned.
Perhaps it was always there.
Perhaps the earth makes room for all of us.
And perhaps the practice is simply remembering.
I belong to this earth just as much as everyone else.
🌿
Dr Maliheh Taheri
M.A.L.I. Neuro-Somatic Practice
