Perspective and presence

I like feeling small. I enjoy being reminded that on Earth and in this universe we play such a tiny role; we have such a slim slice of the pie. I seek out places that remind me of this. 

I took this photo in Iceland last January. Instead of traveling the typical path after landing, I instead hopped in my sweet Kia Sportage and drove 4 hours north to a town called Sauðárkrókur. I stayed with a sweet family there that I will tell you more about in a later post. 

During the 6-7 hours of daylight I had each day, I would hop in and drive. Sure, there were a couple of spots on my list to check out, but I kept my eyes open for what I did not know I wanted to see. I drove for hours each day, and at most, I would pass 10 or 12 cars each day. I felt alone in a frozen Martian landscape that was splayed out for my eyes and future memories to feast on. 

I like feeling insignificant in vast landscapes. There’s a strange comfort in it. Most of the time I obsess over my legacy. It causes me to say “should” too much and beat myself up for not climbing my imaginary ladder fast enough. I seek out places that remind me that life is going on and I have literally no control over it - so just breathe and be present.

Meditation, when I remember to do it, helps me go to this feeling when I can’t fly to the middle of nowhere. It’s a step. I am working on slowing down but it’s hard in world that tells you, you will never be fast enough.