There’s a lot of talk about how your environment shapes you—

The city you live in.

The people around you.

The culture you’re part of.

And while there’s truth to that, I’ve come to believe something different.

Your environment matters—but it’s not everything.

It doesn’t define you.

It reflects you.

What shapes you most is the relationship you build with yourself inside of it.

I used to ask: Where should I live?

It’s a question I’ve come back to again and again.

Where will I feel most alive?

Most grounded?

Most like myself?

For a while, that place was Pisac, Peru.

There, I created a rhythm. I healed.

I felt connected to the land, the air, and the simplicity of the day.

I built rituals that kept me steady.

It felt like a terrarium—a perfectly controlled environment that allowed the best parts of me to flourish.

But then I started wondering…

Can I carry this version of myself into the outside world?

Into something louder, messier, faster?

And the truth is, I wasn’t sure.

I doubted whether the person I had become in the stillness could survive in the noise.

But then I realized: if that strength only exists in perfect conditions, it’s not real resilience.

The strength has to live in you—not in the place.

Lessons from each environment

Every place I’ve lived or visited has shown me something different.

Not just about the world—but about myself.

And each one came with its own darkness, too.

• Pisac, Peru: A healing community, yes—but also filled with spiritual bypassing, overuse of plant medicine, and the temptation to escape under the guise of “purification.”
• San Francisco: A hub of brilliance and innovation. But it’s also a city of deep contradictions. Tech workers microdose ketamine for burnout. Extreme wealth next to homelessness.
• Lake Atitlán, Guatemala: One of the most visually stunning places I’ve ever been. But with a stark economic divide—Westerners living in luxury while many locals struggle to meet basic needs.

The common thread?

Every place has its own shadow.

You can’t run away from it.

You can’t outrun yourself either.

Vices exist everywhere

This was one of the hardest lessons for me.

Everywhere you go, the escape just looks different.

• In Pisac: It’s plant medicine every week. Ceremony after ceremony, no integration.
• In SF: It’s hustle culture numbed by stimulants. Numb the burnout, keep performing.
• In Guatemala: It’s spiritual tourism layered on top of systemic inequality.

So no, you won’t be saved by a new setting.

You don’t find safety in the land—you build it in yourself.

Build a protection system rooted in you

You need your own internal structure.

Something you carry with you into any space, so the space doesn’t shape you without your permission.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

1️⃣ Create routines that ground you

No matter where you are.

Whether it’s a remote village or a crowded city—what grounds you?

Morning walks. Tea. Writing. Breathwork. Sitting in silence.

These are your anchors.

2️⃣ Identify your triggers and patterns

Ask yourself:

What parts of me get activated here?

What old stories show up?

What am I avoiding or chasing in this place?

Each space brings out something different in you.

Pay attention to it.

3️⃣ Practice discernment

Just because something is offered doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

Not every spiritual ritual is meant for you.

Not every trend is yours to follow.

Not every community is as conscious as it claims.

Discernment protects you more than any border, boundary, or retreat center ever will.

4️⃣ Carry your strength

Don’t build your identity around being regulated by your surroundings.

Build it so that you bring regulation with you.

When you know what grounds you, supports you, and drains you—you no longer need to adapt constantly.

You just show up as yourself, no matter where you are.

Daily practices to stay rooted

This is how I check in with myself, especially when I’m transitioning between environments:

• How do I feel in this environment right now?
• What energy is affecting me? Is it mine or something I’m picking up?
• What do I need today to feel clearer and stronger?
• What pattern is being activated here?
• What boundary needs to be reinforced?

Sometimes I realize I need to go inward.

Sometimes I need to leave a conversation, a group, or a city.

Sometimes I just need to return to my breath.

Final thoughts: Stop outsourcing your stability

It’s easy to believe the next place will fix everything.

The right country, the right community, the right energy…

But here’s the truth:

You carry yourself with you.

And yourself is the only thing that’s always with you.

So ask yourself:

• Am I relying on my environment to shape me?
• Or am I shaping how I move through the world—wherever I go?
• What routines keep me grounded when everything outside is shifting?
• What do I need to feel steady, regardless of location?

Because when you build that system inside,

you stop needing the world to hold you together.

You become the space.

You become the container.

Let me know if you’d like this formatted into a newsletter, carousel, or quote series—otherwise it’s ready as-is.