Boyana Sharlopova on the Feeling of Being on the Edge of Venezuela

When someone descends from the summit of Angel Falls – the highest waterfall in the world – and instead of talking to you about adrenaline and figures, starts to narrate about silence, trust, and encounters with oneself… you just listen.

Boyana Sharlopova didn’t just visit Venezuela. She lived it. She fell, climbed, scattered dust, held her breath, gripped a rope, and opened her heart. In this interview, there’s no pretence, no clichés – only sensations.

Read it. Then ask yourself:
What would I do if I stood at the edge?

1. Do you remember the moment before you took your first step over the edge of Angel? What happened inside you at that moment?

I remember every step, every inhale and exhale, every heartbeat on the path to the edge. It felt like I was walking towards something bigger than myself — not just towards the abyss, but towards a meeting with myself.

When I stood above the waterfall, time stopped. I felt fear rising within me — but not the familiar, panic-stricken fear that makes you run. This was a quiet, profound fear… awe-inspiring, almost sacred. The kind of fear that makes you feel alive.

There was hesitation. Of course, there was. But then a voice rose within me — clear and decisive, always appearing in challenging moments. And it whispered: “This fear is not stronger than you, girl.”

2. What was it like to be “high” in that way – not just physically, but emotionally? What remains in your mind from those metres above the ground?

The feeling of being “high” in that way is a mixture of awe, freedom, but also vulnerability. Physical height brings a sense of lightness – as if the world beneath you shrinks and loses its weight. But emotional height is even more impactful – it’s a moment where everything seems possible, and your heart beats in tune with everything around you.

What stays in the mind is not just the view, but the sense of perspective – how the small things below no longer seem so daunting, how thoughts become clearer, and how in that brief moment you are both part of the world, but also a small speck, briefly here. You remember not so much the images, but the sensations: the slight tension, the rush of adrenaline, and that quiet “yes” inside you, that you’re alive, that you’re there.

3. Was there a moment in Venezuela that surprised you with its silence? Something small you’d never notice in a city?

There was a moment in Venezuela that surprised me not with grandeur, but with silence. It was a silence that didn’t weigh you down, rather it enveloped you. There, amidst the wild, breathing nature, I first heard its whispers – those subtle, almost imperceptible sounds that the city drowns in its noise. A leaf falling. Wind passing through the grass. The pulse of the world, unnoticed in daily life.

It was as if nature itself started to speak to me. Not with words, but with feeling. I wasn’t just observing it – I was in it, it was in me. United. We vibrated in the same rhythm, in the same breath. For the first time, I felt completely alive – not as an observer, but as part of something ancient, true, and perfect. I was let into a world that doesn’t reveal itself to everyone. A world that chooses you when you’re ready to feel it, not just see it.

4. When you find yourself atop a tepui, in a world detached from time – what happens to your sense of control? Did you leave anything behind there?

When you’re on top of a tepui – this mysterious, timeless world – the sense of control just… vanishes. Everything you’re used to keeping tight, orderly, and managed, falls apart painlessly, like sand blown away by the wind. And there’s something deeply therapeutic in that – especially for someone like me, who lives daily with the need for control.

Up there, in that ancient, almost extraterrestrial silence, for the first time in a long time, I felt what it means to be truly free. No roles, no masks, no expectations. Just presence. Just breathing.

I left my fears and insecurities on that summit – like clothes worn out that no longer serve me. And when I came down, I knew I would never be the same. Part of me remained there, but in return, I left with something more valuable – the silence within me.

5. Did Venezuela tell you anything about fear? Has your way of recognising it changed?

Yes, that Fear, which once stopped me, has now become fuel for my dreams. That moment high above the world forever changed my view of life.

6. How does a woman change when standing beneath a waterfall nearly a kilometre high? And how does she return to daily life?

The weight of my life is negligible compared to the strength I carry within myself.

I returned quickly, because I had no choice. The tasks were waiting for me, but I was much more confident and moved through difficulties with greater ease.

7. Is there anything Venezuela reminded you of yourself? Something you knew but had forgotten?

It reminded me what it is to trust – my body, my instincts, the moment, the guides. To walk without knowing what awaits, but with an open heart.

8. How do you look at the world now? And if you could put one word to the experience – what would it be?

I now see the world with eyes that have seen beyond fear. My eyes no longer seek security – they seek authenticity. They seek life as it is – raw, beautiful, sometimes gentle, sometimes relentless, but always true.

And if I could put one word to everything I experienced… it would be:

Awakening.

Because I didn’t just see a new land. I saw a new face of myself. And I recognized it. And I embraced it.

9. If you could take only one memory from Venezuela in your pocket – what would it be?

It would rather be a taste: there’s no tastier water than the waters of Angel Falls, but up on the tepui, and a more beautiful sight than the full moon against the backdrop of the falling water of Angel and the stars above me.

10. What would you say to someone who feels they want “something different,” but hasn’t dared yet?

Don’t wait for everything to be clear, orderly, and guaranteed. Life doesn't come with instructions or promises – it comes with opportunities. And when something inside of you begins to flutter… pulls you, whispers “I want more”… Listen to it. It’s not a whim. It's your true “self” begging you to awaken.

I wasn't ready either. Until the last moment, I hesitated. But I went.

And I can tell you with all my heart: That was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.

Sometimes a single “Yes” changes your entire horizon. And then… you begin to see life with different eyes. Braver. More genuine. Freer.

Go. It’s worth it.

If this shakes you up even a little inside – then you’re ready.
To step off the edge of your comfort.
To see with your own eyes a world that resembles nothing familiar.
To discover that Venezuela which doesn’t fit into a picture.

Our next group is in October.
There's a SPOT. Perhaps just for you.