Aligned & Awake: What the Rainbows Taught Me

While I Was Falling Apart in Peru and Piecing Myself Together in Portugal

Aligned & Awake
My reflections on life through travel, human design, energy, astrology, and emotional clarity. Not as a guru. Just one person figuring it out in real time.

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I wasn't expecting to cry at the top of Machu Picchu.

Okay, maybe a little; it was on my bucket list for years. But I didn't expect that moment:

The clouds parted. The rain stopped. And there it was.

A whole rainbow arched across the sacred mountains like some celestial highlighter, saying,

"Hey, babe. This one's for you."

I stood there frozen, soaking it all in with my travel group, all of us wide-eyed, quiet, and a little breathless (and not just from the altitude). Ten minutes passed. I couldn’t look away. It wasn’t just a rainbow; it was a damn message. One that said:

"You're allowed to begin again. You're allowed to find beauty in the wreckage. Also…pack tissues next time.”

At that point, I was still deep in the aftershocks of my separation. My life had collapsed like a Jenga tower built on vibes and people-pleasing. I was travelling, yes, but part of me was still trying to remember who the hell I was without the title (wife), the routine, my home, or the man who betrayed me… caught in glorious HD on our security camera. (Yes, that happened—ask me later.)

Honestly, if I could send you this as a voice note, I'd be pacing barefoot around a Portuguese kitchen, custard tart in hand, telling you:

"You're not broken; you're just between seasons. Trust the shift."

Rainbow #2: Madeira Magic

Fast-forward to Madeira, a magical island off the coast of Portugal that feels like a Wes Anderson film had a baby with your Pinterest travel board. Symmetrical cliffs. Pastel skies. It's the kind of place where your soul wears linen and eats gelato even if your heart’s still in pyjamas and grief socks.

And then... two rainbows!

One in the morning. One in the evening. Bookends of beauty. Nature said,

"You wanted a sign? Here's a double feature."

The first one felt like a wink from the Universe.

The second? A full-blown, technicoloured hug with jazz hands.

It whispered, "You’re on the right path even if it doesn’t make sense yet. Especially if it doesn’t make sense yet.”

Everyone in the co-living space started seeing them. Rainbows popping up like surprise party guests. People were sharing them in the group chat. It was like the sky was conspiring to remind us:

"Hey, you're not alone. And yes, that tear-stained journal entry you wrote last night counts as emotional growth."

But Why Rainbows, Though?

Symbolically, rainbows are the after.

The peace after the storm.

The clarity after confusion.

The colour after grief.

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about colour in my life, writing, and even the fantasy novel I'm working on. There's a place in it called Rainbow Isle (on brand, I know). Colour isn't just aesthetic anymore; it's medicine. Each shade a mood. Each hue a truth.

Rainbows remind me that I'm not black-and-white, not binary. I'm multicoloured chaos and clarity, joy and grief, purpose and play.

And yes, some days I'm beige, and that's okay too. (Beige gets a bad rap. Beige is rest in disguise.)

The Spiritual Takeaway

Maybe this journey — from marriage breakdown to Machu Picchu to Madeira — wasn't just a breakdown.

Perhaps it was a recolouring.

A re-visioning of my life in bold, unhinged hues.

And now, when I see a rainbow? I don't just take a photo. I feel it.

I feel seen. I feel softened. I feel like the Universe is saying:

"Keep going. The magic isn't cancelled. It's just on a detour. Also, pack snacks."

And if you're reading this thinking, "I wish I had a rainbow moment like that," darling, this is it.

This post is your rainbow.

Cue the cosmic wink. Cue the soft-focus montage music.

Your Turn, Babe

Wherever you are right now — maybe mid-reinvention, maybe mid-meltdown —

LOOK UP.

Look for the rainbow.

And if you don't see one?

Be one.

You're the after.

You're the clarity.

You're the colour.

xo,

Tanya

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What colour is your life craving right now?

Is it hot pink chaos? Soft sage surrender? Cosmic glitter with a hint of WTF?

Drop your colour in the comments — or send me a note screaming "MAGENTA MAYHEM!" if that's the vibe.

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