Life Lessons I Learned from Hiking in the Dolomites
The Dolomites or Dolomiti - a mountain range in the northeastern Italy that is also a part of the Alps - was never on my bucket list. I really was not the hiking type of a person. I enjoy the hustle and bustle of cities more than the quiet, disconnected nights in the mountains.That was not until my friend from Poland (hi Anna!), who was also an exchange student like me, invited me to come with her and some of her friends to Tre Cime di Lavaredo. It is among the most known mountain groups in the Alps which, if translated, literally means "three peaks of Lavaredo". To this day, I am so grateful that I didn't hesitate to join them that weekend.We had a road trip from Trento to the mountains (thanks to Anna's car, Suzuki, which never gave up on us! ?), passed by some lakes, ate in some amazing Italian/Austrian restaurants (because we were near the border of Italy and Austria already), and hiked in the trails of the Dolomites. There were a lot of happenings - both humorously bad and remarkably good but I loved every single second of them. (Stay tuned for the travel diary!)When we were walking on the Dolomiti trails, I was pretty sure that I was looking down on the best views I've seen in my entire life. It seemed like my desktop wallpapers came to life. No words can actually utterly describe what my eyes had seen. Until now, when I remember them, I feel like I'm standing on a cloud-nine. I have never felt so alive as I was in those moments in the Dolomites. It was so beautiful that, at one point, a thought popped into my head as if to ask: is this still real life?I remember the lines from Dr. Seuss' poem, which I have heard a few days ago. It says:
You're off to Great Places!Today is your day!Your mountain is waiting.So...get on your way!
Inspired by one of the most empowering blogs I've ever read, I wanted to share with you, in this blog post, some of the life lessons I've learned and realized in that memorable trip. After learning all these, I now value life - its challenges and lessons - so much more.P.S. All photos in this blog post are taken with my Fujifilm XA10.
4 Life Lessons I Learned from Hiking in the Dolomites
Vastness
The earth may be a part of the universe but I can metaphorically say that there is a whole universe inside of it, too. What I mean is that the earth is so vast that there are countless things to do and ways to enjoy it. Had I not gone out of my horizons and if I chose to stay within my limits, I might have missed the chance to see and reach this beautiful place.My favorite book
Grace
I recognize that there are countless blessings I have in my life. In those moments in the Dolomites, however, I felt God's grace so much more. All those mountains with different formations and sizes, those rocks, lakes, snow, and the sky - they were all just utterly beautiful. When I looked at them, I can't help but be amazed by God's power because those were his creations right there in front of my eyes. Everything - and I mean everything - is just perfect the way they were made to be.
Beauty
Beauty is such a vague and subjective word. In the past, I would probably define it as one's physical appearance. But now, whenever I hear this word, the image of all the beautiful places I've traveled to and the amazing views I've seen are the things that instinctively pop in my head. I now understand the meaning behind one of the quotes I've read:
"The most beautiful thing in the world is, of course, the world itself."
Gratefulness
When you're surrounded by mountains that are a hundred, thousand, or a million times bigger than you, you just realize how tiny you are in this world. That realization made me humbly grateful for everything I have, especially for the opportunity of seeing the world. During those moments of standing there with a speechless mouth, finding no words to describe the experience, my heart was almost exploding from all the gratefulness I have in it. That feeling is definitely worth remembering in this lifetime and even the next.
As always, thank you so much for reading, loves! I hope that, somehow, I have inspired you to go out there and see the world. I promise you that there are so many lessons that will come your way.
