Monday 9 September 2013

It's the life I always dreamed of living



I've always found myself yearning to be an explorer, but never had the funds, time or company to venture off into the wild. I used to quench this thirst for adventure through my writing- I'd find words to weave my dreams into, and maybe feel a little bit happier at the end of it all. But a few months ago I met someone who taught me that life is full of possibilities, and I haven't been the same since. 

With good fortune, we travelled to the country's final frontier- an island glowing green and blue, guarded by limestone cliffs and the friendliest locals. Days were fun, yet admittedly as ordinary as trips tend to be, until a storm decided to grace us with it's presence and leave us stranded in paradise. It was perhaps both the worst and best part of the trip. Nobody wants cloudy skies and rain while they're surrounded by glittering sand, or cancelled flights that threaten their exams, but it forced us to get out of our comfort zones and left us with the most adventurous days of our lives.

We knew we couldn't last a few more days in paradise drunk on the sun and running out of islands, so we searched for new adventures in the form of boats breaking down in the middle of the ocean, calling for help from fishermen who knew the seas like the pathway home, and sailing for ten hours into the dark, searching for any sign of land to ease our troubled minds. Hostels filled with mice and walking through the city in the middle of the night, looking for a bed that was willing to house us. Scuba dives into ship wrecks, beside cave walls, on lakebeds made of ash and into communities of catfish and shrimp. The vast blue ocean and all it's mystery will always be one of my favourite things on Earth. Motorbike rides through the pouring rain, soaked to the skin like teabags, clinging onto each other for warmth and dear life. Horseback riding through sixteen hectares of hills and catching the last rays of sunlight radiating off our beaming faces. Going home under a cloudy sky that couldn't have been darker than it was then, starless and lonely, looming over the mountain. Pressed against your back, arms around your body, shivering in the freezing wind as we rode back home. I was full to the brim with love and gratitude, whispering to the universe, "thank you for giving me the best person I have ever met."

I couldn't say goodbye to the place on earth that made me so happy. Blood pumping, lungs breathing, brain pulsating and spirit singing with a swollen heart and arms open wide, I was finally Alive.

8 comments:

Ara said...

Very well written Jo! I felt the energy and vigor of your adventure. Can't wait to embark on one myself! :)

Also, I'm happy for you <3

Joanna said...

Aww!! Thank you, Ara! I saw your photo of the ticket to France. I hope you get to go and go on all the adventures you dream of! :)

Liz said...

Sounds like you had an amazing time. I am missing all my summertime adventures...school really takes a lot out of you. It's like all my picture taking and writing abilities left when I got back from my roadtrip and I am still trying to pick up the pieces. Nostalgia is sometimes so paralyzing.

The Bear said...

This is such a great entry. I found myself smiling as I read through the blog and remembered each of the adventures you mentioned. I can't believe we did all of that! Truly, we went into the wild! One of my favorite ever entries for sure. Beautifully written as always. I read it three times to make sure I fully absorbed it all! :)

Joanna said...

Liz, I know exactly what you mean. I was in such a drained state of mind when i got back from my vacation, and I just couldn't get back into the groove of school. i keep in mind that i only have a bit left to go and power through the days. You can do it!

Anonymous said...

Did you really do all of that? Where did you go? It sounds like paradise! Reading your blog made me want to get up and have my own adventure. Great entry!

Joanna said...

I did! And so much more. ugh i was drunk on the sun, it was amazing. I went to Palawan for 10 days (In case you aren't Filipino, Palawan is an island in the Philippines!)
You should! Get up and goooo life is too short to spend it wishing :)

Unknown said...

Wow, what a beautiful experience and so well captured through your writing. I especially love this: I was full to the brim with love and gratitude, whispering to the universe, "thank you for giving me the best person I have ever met."

Amazing Jo :)