I'm writing this from a gorgeous Moroccan Tea House in Córdoba. Its one of those places that is so beautiful it makes you wonder what you have done to deserve it.
Even the waitresses singing loudly in Arabic is a sound that is amusingly scenic...it's one of those details you remember for the rest of your life for no reason.
Anyway, it's hard to not write about it.
What I WAS going to write about is the novel Corona Virus... but frankly I don't really want to anymore. Fortunately COVID has not yet impacted the beautiful experience I'm having and I hope it stays that way... if it has impacted yours, I am sorry.
Thinking about beautiful places has made me wonder why despite being in the same place, not all experiences are the same. Some people in my program have been loving the study abroad experiences just as much as I have, while others are feeling burdened by the challenges.
When we are walking through the beautiful Mezquita or scenic gardens of the Alcazar, all I can think is how magnificent everything is. If I stop and breathe a little deeper, it feels like I am sinking into the vastness of the place and how small I am in comparison... until I hear someone next to me complain about the sun, or the long hours of walking or the awful tour guide... and I can't help but feel strange. Like we're not seeing the same things and we are not in the same place. We can't be.
Why is it that I can feel more joy out of the same experience? It could just be a question of interest. I am happier seeing sites than the person next to me because they appeal to me more. But aren't we all here because travel appeals to all of us? Besides, I can feel the same joy sitting in a classroom or being back home. It wouldn't matter where I was: I can tell you for a fact that traveling does not make me more joyful than I already am.
You could agree with my host mom that it is a question of maturity. Perhaps it takes some experience or knowledge or ability to appreciate the pleasure more than the pain ... but I do not believe I am more mature than people my age. I have seen the same people experience joy from experiences the same way I do - it just happens to be more rare.
The more I thought about it the more obvious it seemed. Imagine you were hungry and hadn't eaten all day. We could go to the park, or the movies, or Spain... you would still be hungry. And if you were really hungry, that's all you would be thinking about. Even if we were in the most beautiful place in the world you wouldn't be able to enjoy it as much as you could if you were satiated and not distracted by your hunger. The only thing that would make you feel better is if you responded to what your body needed at the time.
I am not saying people who do not enjoy a place are unfed... but there usually is something missing. Whether it is something minor, like food or a few hours of sleep, or something bigger. They are unhappy with something in the new place... but that same thing is not bothering someone else. Often, they are suffering the same aggravations no matter where they are.
We have all heard that "material things can't make you happy," but surely travel means more than material things. I learn more from being in a new place than I do from years in a classroom. I make connections that would have never been possible without leaving what's home and venturing into a newer culture. We all do. But if something is missing within us, we can't get the most out of our experiences.
I sound like I am saying the same thing in different wording in every blog post! But it is the central theme of this blog and it is something I realize in a new way everyday. That our health- all dimensions: physical, mental and spiritual - will play a role in every aspect of our lives.
When I am not in a good state - either physically, mentally or spiritually - it always takes something from my experiences. They are not complete because I am not completely present. This can be on a small scale like not eating breakfast and starting my day with my stomach growling - or it can be bigger like planning a trip without making sure to schedule rest times for my mind to be still. Sometimes it's not simple to figure out what it is that is truly upsetting us - but it is always worth it to ask.
Like I said in the previous post, one thing that was really missing the past week for me was rest. I was chugging through my week without allowing my body and mind to take sufficient breaks, and I didn't find as much joy or meaning out of my activities - even the fun ones.
Some things that help me stay self aware and in touch with my physical and mental state are
journaling, meditating, days off, praying.
What are the things your body needs today?
Have a wonderful time in the world,
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