A Quick Lesson From Nature

Why, yes, I am listening to Colors of the Wind as I write this.


Some of the pictures from below come from inspiring places. In general, being abroad leaves a lot of time to do nothing but think (sometimes too much time). When I was in such places, I did a whole lot of thinking. I put my Emerson and Thoreau hat on from Junior year of high school. Here you have the best "Universal Truth" I came up with during the journey.

Chapada Diamantina is full of companies that offer treks through the mountains, waterfalls, etc. For one of the routes, we decided to bypass the tour guide and just see what we could find on our own. Our adventure was slightly dangerous, but you can't live in fear. We went for it, and we made it to the destination: yet another amazing waterfall.

The journey to this waterfall takes you up a small mountain, through a thick forest, and then rock-hopping against the current of a river. The guides know all the turns to make in the forest and which rocks are easiest to jump through. Obviously, we did not.

Take a deep breath. Brace yourself Here comes my profound life metaphor I learned from hopping through the rocks.

When jumping from rock to rock, it is very interesting how hesitation is your worst enemy. At first, I thought it would be best to calculate each move in a very precise manner. With some experience, I found out that speed and momentum were necessary to pull off a lot of the jumps with ease. The few times I fell or scratched myself were the times I spent longest trying to determine my next move.

Alright, Mr. Emerson. My analysis of my experience on the rocks is as follows. Really, it is nothing more than a cliché we hear everyday. Essentially, I learned the importance of following my instincts. Sometimes, perhaps in life's most important decisions, we must feel instead of think. I have a tendency to over-rationalize everything I do. How valuable it will be to have a personal and natural memory that reminds me of the ever-important balance between thoughts and feelings that I so often forget.