Taking Renovations

My goal is to dream big and make these visions tangible. That dream led me to design and build a home and move to Belize full-time, a significant step toward achieving the life I envisioned. The home above was built with my design and it started on hard clay dirt. However, I became one of the many people impacted by a horrendous real estate scam. This devastating event meant I lost that home, property and all my belongings and was suddenly faced with the almost impossible goal of finding a new place for myself, my six dogs, and one tiny cat. 

This crisis didn't shatter my belief in my ability to meet goals; it simply shifted the focus. Success became survival, adaptation, and finding firm ground. I didn't land in a tourist haven; instead, I found myself in a hardcore, true Belizean village. This experience of Belizean village living became my new reality and taught me profound lessons in resourcefulness and resilience. Losing the original dream forced me to develop a deeper sense of what I'm truly capable of achieving, even when foundations crumble. Through these life pivots, I faced renovation challenges that pushed me to grow. For more pictures of renovating the Sarawee Village House, go to my other website. www.pentimento.life

Moving from California, I never imagined I would find myself in this particular Belizean village. It represented a raw, non-tourist reality—dangerous, incredibly loud, and heartbreakingly rife with animal abuse. This daily reality posed a profound emotional challenge, yet the state of my immediate shelter presented even greater renovation challenges.

When my jeep arrived, packed with my six dogs, one cat, and all my belongings, I was met with a space that was practically uninhabitable. There was no hot water, no functional kitchen, no proper bathroom, and no clean living areas.

With no luxury of time or choice, I powered through, establishing myself and my animals in a single room. For eight months, I managed life there while simultaneously tackling significant renovation challenges. This undertaking required more than just funding; it demanded I master the art of working with Belizean men and local crews, a life pivot that taught me about perseverance and cross-cultural leadership. What I achieved was far beyond mere renovation; it was about rebuilding my entire foundation with unwavering determination.