cissy ly

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SPONTANEOUS COUPLE BACKPACKING TRIP | CANCUN TO TULUM | TRAVEL VLOG 002

Josh, my bearded manguyperson, and I decide to take a spontaneous 3.5 week backpacking trip to MEXICO, BELIZE, and GUATEMALA. .... with only 11 days to prep.

Neither of us : 1. Have been to any of these countries (Well, we both have been to Mexico but not anywhere South of Cancun) 2. Know Spanish 3. Have ever backpacked before 4. Have ever vlogged before :3

We spend 24 HOURS in TULUM.  

WE THOUGHT WE COULD FIND CAMPING ON TULUM BEACH DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS WITH NO RESERVATIONS. WE WERE WRONG.

IG: @cissy.ly

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Big C 💃🏻 #wcw #sisterlove❤️ #forbes #vietnam🇻🇳 #30under30 #motivation #wce #proudaf (at Sài Gòn)

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Maya Tree of Life 🍃 Yaxche {Ceiba Tree} 🙏🏼 This sacred tree is seen as an umbilical cord that connects the heavens, Earth, and the underworld ✨ (at Tikal National Park)

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Fleur De San Juan 💐 #familia #artistsfriends #wombynpower #girlpower @potato.eater.collab @clyeye (at San Juan La Laguna, Solola)

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(Part 3/3) --------------------------------------------- {Pictured above is Carlos Vasquez, 22 year old filmmaker and film teacher to the locals of San Juan Laguna - Lake Atitlan, Guatamala AND my homestay brother!} --------------------------------- The most amazing part about this is that I'm not the only one giving back to this wonderful foundation . It is such an honor to have my friend @joelverges through his clothing brand @potato.eater.collab to be in on this mission. He's also dedicated 10% of all the proceeds from his #artistsfriends design. So if you're not in the market for furniture and wanna be a part of the cause head on over to his site and snag one of his SUPER comfy tees and/or hoodies. If you read all this, thank you, You're amazing and I'm sorry. Lol. (at San Juan La Laguna, Solola)

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(Part 2/3) --------------------------- {pictured above is the lunch I had with an artisan collective of indigenous women that live in San Juan La Laguna (AKA Fleur de San Juan) at my homestay family's casa} --------------------------- So it is with great joy to tell you the other aspect of my journey to Guatemala. I know running around Central America and taking the path unbeaten is a privilege. So when Josh and I booked our one-way tickets I wanted to make sure we spent time giving back to the community that we would be visiting for New Years Eve - Lake Atitlan. It was a serendipitous discovery in my search for volunteer work to find that this same lake was also home to many different artisan villages, specifically textile arts. 😭 As you may have noticed, I’ve recently started a business- @clyeye — refurbishing vintage furniture pieces that most would overlook due to their color or condition and find them their happily ever after home. One of the hardest parts is finding the right fabric to reupholster these pieces in. It was just mind blowing to find that there was a foundation that produced #worldtradefaircertified textiles made by #Mayawomen right on the lake that Josh and I would be celebrating NYE - @mayafoundation. Like, What????????? I learned that Guatemala has one of the highest illiteracy rates in the world. More than half the population live below the poverty line and most indigenous children drop out of school to support their families or because they can not afford the costs of uniforms, books, supplies, tuition, and transportation. The money that goes to this foundation not only supports these artisan collectives of women but also covers the costs towards their children's education amongst other necessary social programs. I was so excited to find out that they offered a homestay experience through the foundation. Josh and I have been with Dona Elena's (one of the original women to have become involved with the foundation since it's beginning, she's 69 years old and has been weaving since she was 10 - she's an angel) family in San Juan Laguna these past two nights. Yesterday, Fleur de San Juan brought us (Cont. in comments) ⤵️

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(Part 1/3) This one is a woozie guys… it's super long and personal sooooo— sorry in advanced. • I've been doing a lot of #selfreflecting over the past few months and the amount of #growth I've experienced thus far has been life changing. I’m so #grateful for everyone that has been supportive of me and my journey. Especially for @joshshadid @ericspivak and @drkousouli . Surrounding myself with #inspiring people has made me put action before fear. I haven't felt such an overwhelming wave of #creativity since I was a teenager. I've been tolerating and holding on to so much pain — emotional, mental, and physical — and finally freeing myself of these burdens has been a catalyst for #change — and while reaching this point has been a feat in itself, this is only the beginning. • As a child I suffered from #depression. I have vivid memories staying up all night crying at five years old— watching the sunrise with tears streaming down my face wondering what the point of being alive was if no one loved me or wanted me. I believed I wouldn't live to see young adulthood, or if I did I would take matters into my own hands to fulfill this destiny. • My parents left me when I was 3 to be raised by my grandmother, the most amazing woman in the world. However, being acutely aware of this #abandonment left long-standing effects on my emotional well-being / growth. I’ve pushed away many friends, family members, and past lovers from the fear of being vulnerable. I didn't want to rely on anyone for support. Through #selfsabotage I ended up hurting myself and those around me. I know now that accepting #love and help is not a sign of weakness. • I have tested the #patience of many, and I'm so lucky that they put up with my BS because honestly I was a fucking tornado of a mess of a girl. • I am so #blessed. I am surrounded by so much love. Every new encounter is filled with the intent of making each person feel better than they did the moment before. The time I have on this earth is so precious and I've been squandering it. I'm so excited to share with you everything I've been working on. I have always avoided sharing my #aspirations because I was afraid (cont. in comments)⤵️ (at Tulum, Quintana Roo)

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Kayaked to a secret beach surrounded by volcanoes on Lake Atitlan. The sand I'm dancing on was created from a volcano that now lies underneath the lake that blew off 1.8 million years ago. Those same remnants were discovered as far as Florida and Ecuador. Perfect case of destruction leading to beauty. #earthisamazing 🌎 (at Lago Atitlan Guatemala)

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"The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams." ✨ - #OprahWinfrey (at Santiago Atitlán)

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Sleping to the sound of the jungle is the most peaceful sleep 💤💤💤💤 #nofilter (at Semuc Champey Lanquin Coban)

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No matter what country I go to, I have to spell out my name. Maria almost got it the first time, 'Sici' 💖• Youtube Vlog coming soon 📺• 📽🗿Adventure camera man @joshshadid (at Semuc Champey)

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Me at the one and only club opened on the island last night 😹 If you're ever at a Caribbean island, go dancing where the locals go 💃🏻 I lived real life #rihanna #work music video 🙏🏼 #toolit #nahbruh #threelit (at Caye Caulker, Belize Island)

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We're both annoying pieces of shit 💩💖💩#couplegoals (at Chichén-Itzá, Yucatan, Mexico)

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Need to get back into my practice 😔 I go real hard for 6 months to a year then completely off for 6 months. It's getting to the tail end of my 6 month hiatus and I feel like a weakling. Anyone else have this issue with their practice? #parttimeyogi (at Chichen-itza Wonder Of The World)

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We saw lechon on the menu and thought it couldn't get any better but then I went inside to go use the potty where I discovered a garden with live flamenco. Hello #Merida 🎸💒🎶🍴🌠 (at Mérida, Mexico)

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🐝 (at Del Cielo)

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Left our eco-friendly solar powered cabana (that was only $60/night after going from hotel to hotel looking for reasonably priced vacancies - everything else ranged from $200-700 night - lol at us being at one of the most beautiful beach cities in Mexico during high season with no reservations) This was our last look at our backyard cenote 🌀 Cenotes are groundwater sinkholes formed by the collapse of limestone bedrock. They're sprinkled throughout the Yucatán peninsula - there's no streams or rivers so these sinkholes are portals to underwater rivers 👽 The ancients Maya believed here waters to be sacred and collected the 💧 for rituals at temples. They also sometimes used them for sacrifices to appease the gods ☠️✨Now on our way to a famous cenote in Tulum then we're off to Mérida! The capital of the Yucatán 🌞 (at Tulum, Quintana Roo)