Smelling the Roses
So far on this dialogue, we have only been able to go on trips during the weekends. While in Hong Kong, we went to Sky 100 and went on a dinner boat cruise. I also went on my own to visit the giant buddha with my roommate which was an amazing experience. Since arriving in Kunming, we have gone to see the Stone Forest and a Cave where Jackie Chan has filmed a movie. Out of all these places, I would say that my favorite locations are the giant Buddha in Hong Kong and the Cave we visited last weekend.
Some have told me that with new experiences come new wisdom with oneself. I must say, this is completely true. I feel that the experiences that I have enjoyed most have really made me learn more about myself as a person. Whether it being hiking beautiful arches in Utah, horseback riding in the fields of El Salvador, seeing a world wonder in Peru, or climbing up a few hundred stairs up to be in the presence of the giant Buddha, it has all become experiences where I can say that I have learned more about myself. From these experiences I learned that I actually have an odd phobia of heights, that I really love the outdoors, and that the smell of trees really make me feel right at home.
They are all small things but I feel that the world is not just a picture to be seen through lenses of a camera but it is a silent teacher and we are the students. The world speaks to us in different ways but the moments that count are the times you are actually not paying attention. I have had this moment many times. I have had moments where I really was so keen on taking pictures of the places that I was visiting just to show my family that I really did not realize where I was until after I had left.
During my trip to the Cave, I was sure not to take a lot of pictures while inside. I took many before I entered. I was actually attacking on of my inner fears of enclosed spaces and my phobia of height while there that I pretty much forgot that I had a phone with a camera. There were many stairs down and I pretty much did not see an ending to where the stairs where leading. At some point, seeing the river flowing below me at such a speed just made my phobia worsen. I was holding onto people as much as I could and eventually the combination of heights and enclosed spaces led into a small anxiety attack. It was no biggie. I was able to observe and really live the experience at the time rather than reminisce about it later.
Main piece of advice: turn off your phone and really smell the roses, they smell really nice.
