Monday 9 October 2017

On the road

A perfect sunday started with a cup of strong coffee and a nice jog in our local park in Amsterdam. The day continued by car towards the east of Holland, where I swapped to "omafiets" (grandmother's bike)and made my countryside round. 


I always seem to be in a mood of finding little adventures in my daily life. I was listening to a radio program while I was sitting in a car. It was about the Volvo ocean race, the 8 month long sailing competition around the world. This reminded me of the many books I have read about sailing, mountain climbing and other adventures. Somewhere deep in me is a little adventurous soul, but the stories seemed to be enough to feed that curiosity for a long time. Or maybe I have been afraid of planning my own, big adventure :)



I was enjoying the sunny day and admiring all the details, sitting on the saddle of my old "Gazelle" bike, a camera hanging on my neck. A nostalgic feeling hit my mind on my journey and I felt sudden freedom. I chose a route I had never driven before. Refreshing options and delightful sparkles of new views opened before my eyes.





During my summer holiday, we went to Germany for one week. The little town where we used to live is near one of the old pilgrimage routes. Lately many of these old routes have been refound and used again.

Most of us have heard about the famous pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella. The origin of pilgrimage is related to Christianity and was very popular in the middle ages. If you prefer more peaceful options without too much tourists and commercial influence, it is better to find your own personal route for smaller hikes or choose the less known routes. Local or international, always good to find some new perspective and even spirituality in life. The journey can have different motivation every time we go outside or even just plan of doing something. Often the meaning of the trip is something else that we thought and the secrets are opening only if we are willing to take the challenge, no matter how big.



The need to collect the peace and make a journey to our minds, see the changing landscapes by walking the historical routes is popular even nowadays. Many people have a need to get more connected to the environment and to the Nature. This is a good sign and I hope it increases the willingness of doing something good to protect our precious planet.


I feel like every step I take in the Nature, is a little personal story for me. Sometimes I prefer going out just by myself, but it is nice to share the path with someone as well. I am planning on doing more hiking and outdoor trips in the future. The search of peace, silence and surprising elements is a big motivation for me. As I see the whole life as a ongoing path, full of changes and crossings on the way, I also see how the path is changing me and my values all the time. 




Best Autumn wishes, Erja