Saskia

Image captured at retreat by talented @laurilavie I’ve arrived at a point in my life where I understand why women used to gather. Why there were separate spaces for men and wome n, and why women would retreat to the red tent during their bleed tending to themselves while the world carried on without them. And while I know we live in a different time now, and our bodies, our rhythms, our ways all adapting t o modern life, there’s something that doesn’t quite let go. Because every time I sit in...

Where do I begin? I am a traveller and explorer at heart. I’ve visited 39 countries already, yet never did I expect to leave a piece of my heart in northern Argentina. It is the most breathtaking corner of earth I have ever seen. It surprises me, especially because I once lived in Paraguay for a year and never felt the pull to explore its neighbouring countries. Instead, I stayed within Central America, moving back and forth between places that felt easy, familiar, and alive with a strong...

Since a very young age, I have been shy in front of crowds. I felt an extreme discomfort with being seen, with being the centre of attention. So I would choose the front row in classrooms, as a strategy. If I sat closest to the teacher, it meant that fewer eyes would be on me when I spoke. Still, I avoided speaking whenever I could which almost made me fail school. Already as a two-year-old, I stopped talking almost entirely. Silence became my safety. It led me into therapy at an age where...