Thoughts on cherishing the quiet times of travel.
Travel can be thrilling and special, but it can also be very stressful and fast paced, especially when you're trying to cram as much as you can into two weeks. Sometimes it's hard to find the balance between, go, go, go and taking moments of calm. It is those moments of peace that can be the best memories you have. I think about the slow morning at Judith's house where we sat around the counter and ate our croissants topped with Nutella (Nutella is still a big thing over there btw). About times when we chatted about everything and nothing. The moments in the caravan, where we bundled ourselves in blankets and played a monopoly card game and listened to the rain falling on the plastic roof, accompanied by the rise and falls of good music. I think of sitting in front of the fire and laughing at the ridiculousness of our Irish accents we tried to copy. I think of sitting on a rock jutting from the cliffs Moher and dangling our feet over the side and taking in the immensity of creation, and the detail and beauty it was created with. I think about peaceful moments just before sleep takes over where you can't help but smile at the day you had and the day that approaches.
These moments I cherish more than all the cozy cafes we stopped at, more than the various sights we saw. These are moments that stay with you forever. There is no need for a refresher— it sticks. And it's something you can look back on and smile and feel the peace wash over you again. Peaceful moments are times to reset our minds and bodies, to let ourselves catch up and take on all that we have seen. They are moments to be mindful of what your inner emotions are and if there is something you need to change in your mindset. They are moments that you can be thankful in; thankful for what you've seen that day, for the memories being made, and for each breath you take and release. Sometimes, I crave for peaceful moments more than I crave the beauty in travel. With thoughts swirling constantly about my mind and the world seemingly rushing past me in a blur, I long for a pause. A moment plucked straight from time. A moment to stand still. A moment where the world might still be rushing around you, but you feel as if you are in the center of the tornado. Your hair is no longer blowing in your face but floating, and your heart slows, your mind relaxes, and a smile touches your lips as you feel an immense peace come over you. Like a warm breeze, it sweeps around you and refreshes your lungs. It wipes the weariness from your eyes and sets them alight. You are made new in these moments, you are reminded of who you are and the things you love. You reset in order to keep pushing forward through life, not to get through it, but to push for joy, excitement, love, adventure, and fulfillment. A peaceful moment. A session of laughter. A warm thought. A moment of silence. A deep conversation. A walk through the forest. A tight hug. A shared smile. The sound of falling rain. The feel of a hardback book. The call of a bird. The wagging of your dog's tail. The movement of a sunset. The rustle of the aspen leaves. Look for these things in your daily life, seek them out, and find your own peace in them. Find yourself. Refresh yourself. And look to the rest of your day with a new outlook, one of determination and thankfulness and joy.
And remember, a moment of peace will come again, and they will become more frequent and eventually, that peace will follow you through your entire day and last longer than just a moment.
"Seek peace and pursue it.” -Pslam 34:14