in medias res

In mid-fall of 2014 I returned to Belize with what I thought was a great plan. Had I been away for so long that I'd forgotten this is the Land of Murphy's Law? That no matter how well conceived is your plan, NOTHING ever goes according to plan here! That means that every day is serendipity, every day is an adventure. It's one of the biggest reasons I live here. Nevertheless, Murphy's Law is a reality and it didn't take me long to remember it. In less than two short months the plan had already been put on the back burner; no, I didn't throw it out altogether because fundamentally I'm an idea pack rat! I keep every good idea and store it for later, because who knows? Right?

Being the resilient person that I am, I quickly embarked on another venture, or rather, pulled out of storage an old idea, one that had actually seen the light of day in 2005 but had been put into storage two years later. Why? Because this is Belize, and NOTHING ever goes according to plan! It turned out that my idea to create and market natural aromatherapy body care and eco-products here in Belize was far too soon implemented; the Belize market simply was not ready to embrace natural products, let alone products that utilized essential oils. What are those?!

So after two years of travelling all over the country introducing BodyBelize products to both the local and tourist population all the while educating people about the importance of switching away from toxic chemicals, not only for themselves but also the land, I closed shop; I was only breaking even and that didn't even include a salary for me. And I wasn't getting any closer to realizing my dream. I was disappointed of course, because I LOVED my creation and really wanted do it, but it was just too soon. Admittedly, I was on a mission. But you know that old adage, the one that says: you can lead a horse to water....? 

At the beginning of the new year of 2015 I tested the waters with my old/new idea. I took one product, JungleOil, and made the rounds to my former customers. Suddenly, or maybe because everybody just finally caught up, there was huge interest in natural products.  People, both tourists and locals, were actually seeking them out. Chemical free products had become preferred purchase products. And not only that; there was great appreciation for local products. The climate had most certainly changed. Delighted, I blew away the dust and cobwebs, and revived BodyBelize.

This year, 2018, is my fourth year in operation, with many new products added to my collection; please browse around the website, and visit instagram and facebook. Better still, my  customer base keeps on growing.  Time to scale up!

I couldn't be happier, not only for people in general who have understood the need for chemical free products for themselves and their children, but also happy for the environment which will be subjected to less toxins. 

Every little bit of conscientiousness and care, no matter how small, adds to the greater good, n'est-ce pas? 

So let's go back to ideas. I have lots and lots of them, so many in fact, that I now have a warehouse (in the back of my brain) to store them. They've accumulated over the years!  And of course I'll be sharing some of these with you as we move forward.

In the interim, allow me to share the fundamental idea underpinning BodyBelize Apothecary. It's not just a business; it's a vehicle, a means to an end. Though I am passionate about it and truly believe it serves a great purpose by providing an effective alternative to poisons, the raison d'etre is to earn the capital required to create a permaculture homestead with a food forest and indigenous medicinal plants here in Belize; a sanctuary of sorts, not only for flora and fauna, but also for some other humans who share the vision. This is the plan.

 So now you know. 

The photo in this post was taken at my friend Nah Lin Chevillion's farm just down the road. It's one of my favourite places on the Hummingbird Highway, the "sweet spot" of Belize.