{{ Para ver el guion de video en español, mira a continuación más abajo!! }}

Follow me on Insta! @dualsportin_doula 

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...Roots...

+ In my heart of hearts, I have known for many years that I would pursue a career in healing. As for many, my journey with this path has been rocky, rewarding, and deep.
+ I went through a period of gripping darkness in my youth that I believe to have had much of its roots in the circumstances surrounding my gestation and birth.
+ There were many points along the road where a future without pain, mental illness or beyond seemed inconceivable.
+ In finding my way back to true self and into a life of wellness, I vowed to give back by finding ways to support and empower others on their journeys through strife and in life; to help facilitate others in healing themselves.

...The Trip Down...

+ The people, the places, the lessons…I cannot fully articulate the incredibly dynamic and beautiful spectrum of my experience!
+ I rode solo through a coastal route in Mexico: Sonora; Sinaloa; Nayarit; Jalisco; Colima; Michoacán; Guerrero; Oaxaca; and Chiapas. I totally fell in love with Mexico! I was met with some of the most beautiful scenes I’ve ever beheld, such delicious food, challenging terrain and inspirational people that I will now know for the rest of my life.
+ My trip changed completely when I walked into a tattoo shop in Ixtapa in the Guerrero province (sadly not for tattoos, but just to replace a nose ring I had lost in my attempts to learn to surf).
+ I ran into the shop owner, a man named Pelon, who subsequently gave me the biggest gift of my trip: connections. Because I was adorned in moto gear, we started to talk about bikes and my trip; I soon found out that he was the founder of a motorcycle group called the Ixtapa Halcones.
+ He took a picture of me, sent it to several all-moto WhatsApp groups telling them about my travels, and connected me with support throughout Mexico and Central America before calling in members of his own group to give me a personalized tour of Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo…I was overwhelmed with gratitude.
+ I stayed with a moto family in my following stop of Acapulco through my new-found network.
+ The motorcycle community is so incredibly strong; I’ve never felt such love and generosity from such a large network of strangers before in my life.
+ From the border of Guatemala through Managua, Nicaragua, I had groups of the most kind, giving, and vivacious humans insist on riding with me, inviting me to stay in their homes and eat beside them with their families and friends.
+ All throughout Central America, I was assisted by countless incredible members representing around 18 motorcycle groups from 6 different countries...Heart. Overflow.

...Birth and Family Work...

+ I was called to birth work out of my own personal experience: I dove deep when exploring the link between the circumstances surrounding my gestation and the deep struggle with mental health I experienced in my teenage years and early twenties.
+ Pregnancy and birth are some of the most sacred processes on earth: birth is one of the most prolific experiences of our lives.
+ These processes are treated with a procedural, disease-focused approach in most of the medical world that distrusts the body and promotes fear.
+ I truly believe that birth offers both the birthing parent(s) and the baby the opportunity to relive the experience for the rest of their lives, be it beloved or traumatic.
+ There is an irrefutable and profound body of research that directly links the “primal period” and our later formed ability to develop love and connection with everyone and everything in our lives, including ourselves.
+ The “primal period” is constituted by fetal life and the perinatal period through the first year of life.
+ Though I do strongly feel that the current and projected population put an enormous strain on our earth, I know that we cannot stop reproduction.
+ Instead, with so many people giving birth, I feel there is an overwhelming call to help birthing parents and their babies have the most positive experience possible within such a precious and impactful time.
+ I believe holding space for positive births and pregnancies is one of the greatest tools we have for bringing more empathetic, emotionally secure, and connective humans onto this planet.
+ My plan is to become a midwife, so in large part, my time here is for gaining valuable experience with babies and mamas as I strive towards that goal. My mentor, Rebecca, has been an incredibly invaluable teacher and support as I get ready to take the next step towards this career.
+ Volunteering allows me to be lending my heart to those in need while I ready for my future.

...The Choice for Motorcycle Travel...

+ I went through my doula training in late winter through spring of 2017 at Cornerstone Doula Trainings in San Francisco.
+ I knew that I really wanted to start diving into my career and giving back to my community.
+ At the same time, I was feeling really called to travel and do some intensive journeying.
+ In feeling the pull of all of these elements, I heard about a volunteer doula opportunity in Costa Rica and everything fit!
+ It coalesced everything I had been feeling called to: traveling; giving back; and self-work while still working towards my career goals.
+ I applied and was accepted in May as I was finishing up my doula classes.
+ I began looking at plane tickets, but something didn’t feel quite right…I was looking at the map of all of the countries I would be flying over and it hit me: I didn’t want to fly!
+ I wanted to figure out a way that I could more intimately experience and learn from all of the colorful culture that I would otherwise be missing.
+ My first thought was riding a bicycle: I began to get super jazzed about the physical challenge that would be presented!
+ With more research, however, I realized I didn't necessarily want to take on the full commitment of extra time that it would require in addition to the dangers of being incredibly vulnerable as a solo female on a bike without getaway speed.
+ I looked at buses briefly, but I knew I wanted to be more independent.
+ So I landed on a motorcycle: I just had to learn how to ride! And fast!
+ I enrolled in a safety course for mid-June south of the Bay Area.
+ Within this class, I became really good friends with one of my instructors, Adam.
+ He subsequently helped me make my trip a reality.
+ From his post in Southern California to mine in North Cal, we stayed connected online, sending research and questions back and forth until Adam found the perfect bike in San Diego and kindly test drove it for me!
+ Within the last couple days of July, I took a bus down to meet Adam outside of LA.
+ He took me through three days of some of the most intense training I’ve ever experienced in my life.
+ We rode dirt bikes for over 200 miles in those three days and I absolutely had a spiritual experience.
+ Given that I had never been on a dirt bike in my life, there was much to be learned: we did not stick to beginner terrain.
+ I dropped the bike 30-50 times easily. But I picked it up and got back on every time.
+ It was an incredibly and surprisingly powerful experience: I didn’t realize I’d be doing some journeying within the trip’s preparation!
+ Afterwards, we went to San Diego and I fell in love with the bike, a 2013 Honda CB500X, as well as her previous owner. The purchase was made, and I then had my first big ride up to Yosemite and back to Oakland over two days time.
+ I was incredibly grateful to have Adam accompany me for most of the ride.
+ We were connected through Bluetooth in our helmets and he guided me through navigating slow speed traffic on the Pacific Coast Highway; how to lane-split traffic on the 5 near LA; and linked and reduced radius turns on the gorgeous roads of Yosemite.
+ I cannot speak to how invaluable this training was and how it made me the rider I am today.
+ I took one more advanced training course with Adam on my way down through Southern California, and then I was on my way!
+ Going through the preparation and process for this trip was an experience deeply infused with growth and learning.
+ It was incredibly therapeutic in reconnecting with self confidence and my own tenacity.
+ I am forever working towards becoming my best self, and I feel I made some deep and lasting shifts on the road—metaphorical and physical—to where I am now.

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{{Script de Video en Español!}}

Hola!

Mi nombre es Leigh Catherine Snodgrass, tengo 27 años y soy una doula viajando Centro America y México en mi motocicleta para expander/incrementar mis habilidades y experiencia en el medio de partera natural y curandera.

Una doula es alguien que provee apoyo físico, mental y emocional a personas en crisis. En mi caso, so una doula partera que apoya/asiste los padres antes, durante y después que nace su bebe.

Octubre 2017 viaje en mi motocicleta desde San Francisco, California hasta Turrialba, Costa Rica con el fin de ser voluntario. Llegue a Turrialba el 15 de Diciembre 2017.

Al llegar empece a ser voluntario tiempo completo en un hostel familiar donde asistía de partera con las indigenas Cabécares y ayudando con sus hijos. Ayudaba con la preparación de partos atendiendo y asistiendo con dichos partos. Ademas cuidadaba a cuatro niños que viven en el hostel tiempo completo.

Este trabajo fue intense y sumamente gratificante. La mayoría de las mujeres tienen largas historias de abuso sexual y psicológico. Logrando su confianza para poder ayudarles fue muy retadora pero al final del día gane su confianza.

Desde entonces he integrado a un centro de atención para mujeres donde estoy bajo la instrucción de una incredible partera que se llama Rebecca.

Aquí en el centro estoy cuidando a mujeres embarazadas con apoyo prenatal, el parto y cuidado después del parto. También soy asistenta de la maestra en clases de preparación para el parto y dando masajes y reiki a las mujeres embarazadas.

Rebecca es un proponente fuerte para la salud de mujeres y justicia de nacimiento, y esta liderando el movimiento para terminar con la violencia obstétrica aquí en Costa Rica. Estoy aprendiendo mucho con ella.

Porque necesito ayuda? Necesito su ayuda dado que aquí soy voluntario tiempo completo y doy mi corazón a las mujeres y niños aquí, lo cual llena mi vida de felicidad.

Sin embargo, he llegado al punto que ya no puedo sostenerme económicamente. El costo de sostenerme, clases de Español y el viaje de 10,000 kilometres para regresar a California me ha traído a un reto que no podré superar sin su apoyo economico.

Ayudar a mujeres y niños es el porque de mi vida y es mi sueno poder seguir aprendiendo y ayudando a ellos.

Sinceramente pido su ayuda, sin ello ni se como voy a regresar a EU.

Mi motocicleta requiere un mínimo de $1000.00 USD de mantenimiento antes de embarcar a mi regreso.

Ademas tengo varios puntos donde voy a pasar a ayudar en el camino de regreso.

Con todo humildad les pido su apoyo para seguir ayudando gente y para mi regreso. Tal apoyo significara la oportunidad para mi a seguir fortificando la base de mi futuro en ayudar a la comunidad con amor y cariño, así logrando la mejor version de mi mismo.       

Muchísimo gracias!

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