Sahara Vision Quest: A Journey Back to Myself

A story of deep surrender, self-trust, and discovering

the extraordinary in the ordinary

“In the stillness of the desert, I heard the voice of my soul.”

What happens when you let go of everything—your job, your identity, even your home—and walk into the desert with only silence, stars, and your soul? For me, it was the beginning of everything real. It was a complete reset of my life. Here's how the Sahara cracked me open—and why

I believe the extraordinary is always hidden in the ordinary.

Looking back, I say my life BEFORE and AFTER the Sahara Vision Quest. It changed my life.

Walking the desert for two weeks in a group of 12 people with our guides, intentionally walking the days, sleeping under the stars, and spending 3 days in solitude with water only in the middle of this journey—the Vision Quest. 

My vision quest. I chose this place to spend 3 days in solitude. Fasting and drinking water. Going deep, meeting my soul.

Was it the Sahara that changed my life? No. We have to do it ourselves. But that’s where the main shift happened. I connected to my soul deeply. And since then, I’ve been walking the path of creating the life I want. The life I’m aligned with. The life that’s in tune with my soul and purpose.

It’s been quite a journey. It wasn’t a walk in the park. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s been:

• Going deep into myself.

• Letting everything go - and by everything, I mean everything. No anchor in the material world, all gone, closed, or given away, including my apartment, car, company, and many relationships. 

• Letting go of my identity as I knew myself and considered myself back then.

• Having a white canvas - which has been my life.

• The amount of money just to survive, sometimes too tight.

• Freedom.

• Simplicity and Richness at the same time.

• Living life fully.

• Following my heart.

• Listening to my intuition.

And it brought me all the way here—writing this blog article, the very first one on my website hudecmalecka.com. I’m launching it in just a few days, together with the release of my first book: Simple Self-Care Activities for Women.

I feel this is the beginning of an essential chapter in my life. I’m coming out into the world with my skin and hearing the calling. I’d like to inspire and support other women by sharing my experiences, life, and knowledge. 

Because hudecmalecka also expresses that I am the wife of Anton Hudec. I feel I am with the man of my life, whom I love unconditionally. It was a couple of years after the Sahara Vision Quest that we reunited. We now have a beautiful son. We are a loving family.

Sahara is powerful. She showed me how to tune in and meet my soul. For me, it was being elsewhere. It’s hard to describe it in words, but I’ll try. 

I felt so safe in the Sahara—more than I’ve ever felt anywhere before. She welcomed me with an open heart, incredible energy, and wisdom.

She gave me my first slap-in-the-face lesson—right at the beginning.

On the very first day in the Sahara, I realized I had no sunscreen, no panties, and no sleeping bag.

Why? Because I had taken care of everything and everyone else, I had forgotten "a few" of the basics. Which I definitely missed while walking several kilometers daily, and sleeping outside in the desert for two weeks.

She showed me straight away:

Maria, take care of yourself first.

I understood the lesson mentally right away. I got it. But it took me some time to really implement it. To live it. And it turns out to be the message of my first book: Simple Self-Care Activities for Women.

Sometimes I thought I had it all figured out. And then life, the universe, the Sahara showed me again: There’s still room for improvement. There’s more to do.

Since the Sahara Vision Quest, I’ve been able to feel that same way in other areas of my life, too. The desert enabled me to connect with myself on the deepest level—with my soul and with my energy.

That allows me to walk with it in my life and create a life that is aligned with myself, a life where I feel as myself, happy and satisfied, in truth, doing the right things—right for me, following my heart and intuition, and living my purpose. 

Since then, one thought keeps returning to me:

Extraordinary in the Ordinary.

As the years go by and I walk through my life, I understand it more deeply and clearly.

Extraordinary life comes out of the ordinary, seemingly ordinary. And if we look better, we can see and feel the whole universe, just like the Sahara. Seemingly ordinary, it seems to be just a massive pile of sand. But if we look better and tune in, we can see and feel the whole universe there. 

“The extraordinary hides in the ordinary—just like a whole universe in the sand.”

I felt like I was on a different planet, breathing different air and living a different reality. The energy felt different, and everything felt extraordinary. 

I want to thank the SoulAdventure team for giving me the opportunity to walk my vision in the Sahara.

Would you like to find the extraordinary in the ordinary? Grab my book, Simple Self-Care Activities for Women, tune in, and if you'd like to share, I’d be happy to hear from you 🙂

With love,

Maria