This morning, we once again walked down to Jávea's port--but with a different purpose in mind.
Jávea has some great hiking trails--some that take as little as an hour and others that take six hours! We decided to take a short hike to work up an appetite before lunch!
I wish that I had some pictures to post to my blog of the hiking trail! However, my camera stopped working while I was trying to take a picture of the view from my friend's apartment.
The trails were absolutely gorgeous!
More importantly, they provided a space with ample quiet and opportunity to reflect.
I find that traipsing through the woods brings out the contemplative side of my personality. This is partially due to a course I took a few years ago.
When I studied abroad in Spain in 2009, I took a course called "Theory and Practice of Urban Life." This was perhaps one of the most fascinating courses that I have ever taken.
One of the themes that we studied and debated was nature versus the city. One of the most important works that we read on the subject was Thoreau's Walden Pond.
Thoreau and I have a difficult relationship. I read him in high school and found a lot of his writing boring. I mean, he spends a whole chapter describing his cabin--down to it's dimensions.
However, if you can get through all that--you'll find that he is incredibly insightful.
Thoreau writes:
Not until we are lost, in other words, not until we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves, and realize where we are and the infinite extent of our relations.
It's only when we step out of what's comfortable and easy that we are able to discover.
I feel that this is the theme of my Fulbright experience in Spain.
I could have easily stayed in the United States. I'd have been perfectly comfortable in my hometown, but I don't know that I would have had the same opportunities for growth.
Instead, I took the harder--and infinitely scarier--path. Obtaining my visa and settling in a new--and foreign--city was by no means easy.
I'll admit there were times last summer when I was scared. I didn't know how I'd settle in a new city. I'm from a rural town in the Midwest. A city of 300,000 people is a big chance. I didn't know how easily I'd make friends. I didn't know exactly what I would be doing for my job. The job title "teaching assistant" can mean a lot of different things for different teachers. And on, and on...
However, in coming to Alicante, I've learned so much about myself. I've had situations arise that have pushed me to the limit and forced me to grow.
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