Chapter Eighteen: Small Moments

At times throughout the day, I need to disconnect myself from reality. Music tends to build the disconnection from my reality but if I truly want to transport myself to another realm, I need to do something active: running, biking, hiking. Something. Not just sit in front of the TV with the remote in one hand and a bag of potato chips in another. There is something about the way that the wind can brush through your hair or the sound that leaves make as they are blown around that can really put you in another world. It is then when those small moments occur. So small that they pass you by just as quickly as they came. So if you're not paying attention or if you are in a rush to get somewhere, you will lose a precious moment during your day.

To bring myself to my point more clearly, it was on Monday that I decided to take a hike. I have already decided to begin training for the Way of Saint James (El Camino de Santiago, in Spanish). For the last few weeks then I have been adding on an hour of hiking. Last week was four hours. Four hours. That's all it takes to build new memories in a busy week.

I had gone back that day to a place where I had been before with others. I knew the way and since it was such a beautiful day, I had to take advantage of the weather. Even a fellow mountain biker commented on the beauty to me. So take into consideration what I like to think as my first small moment during the hike.

Coming up a hill, I could see in the distance another person coming from a rougher side-trail with his mountain bike. Coming closer I saw he had short curly hair in the front and very unattractive braided-like dreads in the back. He certainly wasn't a future husband candidate on my part. And only wanting to continue on my hike I almost passed up a small moment before me. However he stopped me to ask for directions. After explaining where he was and where to go, we talked about how gorgeous the views were that day. Two minutes tops. That's probably all the conversation lasted. However, for me it was a small victory for two reasons. One, I was proud to be able to give directions to this mountain-biker dude. And two, I was proud to know how to give directions. Meaning, I didn't slip up on my grammar or pronunciation and during our other half of the conversation, he never asked where I was from. I felt for once that I had a place here in this city. If I can give directions and converse like that without any problem, then Destiny must be showing me how proud she is of how far I have come while I have been in Spain.

Moving to a new place, whether it is a new city, state, country, or even continent as for my situation, is never easy. You start over. You begin a new life. So if or when you move to a new and unknown place, remember those small moments in your day. Those moments will motivate you to go on. To go ahead. To go beyond. If need be, do what I did. Hike into the mountains and sit on a log to reflect and meanwhile be further surprised when a farmer comes up the path asking if you've seen his goats. Yes, that would be another small moment on that day of mine.