It was 10 o'clock in the morning on Sunday October 8th, the day before I was so tired that I simply didn't care in the least about dinner. I simply took off my shoes, took off my shirt and went to sleep on that Saturday... At about 7:00 pm. Apparently, I had slept for more than 12 hours... And no, I'm not lazy or sluggish. It's just that I've been keeping night hours for decades and at some point, that routine is simply going to take its toll...
That's how I started my Sunday day. Feeling invincible, energetic and strong. I'm not overly athletic and I'm not obese either. I'd say I'm pretty average. But from the moment I opened my eyes that day I knew I had to go for a walk. I don't know if it's the same for you, but sometimes my body, and above all my mind, asks me for a bit of a walk, some paths and little or no planning. Never before has the saying been better used: "there is no path, you make the path as you walk". This worked for me that Saturday.
I drank several cups of coffee (yes, I love coffee in a wild way), prepared a bottle of water, grabbed my two mobile phones (neither of them of remarkable range, truth be told) and started what would be a small Sunday trip to the other part of my city, San Diego, Venezuela. That sector that is close to the mountains that surround the geography of my city. I didn't want to know anything about the concrete, the hustle and bustle or the noise of a busy city like San Diego.
Quite the contrary, my intention was the peace of nature. And at the same time, to take advantage of the beauty of the mornings. The same ones, which I have not been capturing or highlighting for a long time. My days are in reality nights. One after the other, dawn after dawn, dawn after dawn. I work remotely, and my "office" is literally my living room. You have no idea how exhausting this kind of routine can be at times. But hey, this is not a complaining post....
That said, as I walk around, this idea of capturing the naturalness of certain man-made things comes up. A landline phone booth, which is more a gadget of the past than something really useful in our times and days. I find beauty in inhospitable and unthinkable places, like the beautiful drains near my house. And no, it's not an irony, they really look beautiful with the incidence of light on their inert form.
Besides, the entrance to the mountain that is the "guardian" of the valley where I live, is also a place that not only gives me an incredible sense of peace, but on that Sunday, with a beautiful sun. Not too hot, not too cold, just perfect for photography. Clearly, you don't have the right technical equipment to take a single image of the immensity of these mountains, but their greenery is something to be happy about.
I remember walking around and thinking at the same time: "wow, this looks like Ireland...". I meant that no matter where I looked everything was "painted" in a beautiful and uniform green that made, at the same time, a characteristic contrast with San Diego and its urban areas full of houses and town houses? The imprint of man and the perpetuity of nature, all divided with symmetry and beauty. An unintentional walk suddenly became a gentle and surprising reminder of the small details in my life.
Honestly, the solitude I found was something that pleasantly surprised me. I've never been a person who enjoys crowds or people in general.... Hahaha, I'm not a narcissist either but I'm not going to lie to you. That Sunday, on almost any road or route I decided to take, I had a hard time finding human beings. In fact, I saw more lynxes (which I couldn't capture in photographs) than humans. I suppose we have lost, a little, that ability to appreciate the beauty of the modern and the imposing. We live more in the car, in the office than anywhere else; that takes its toll....
Weekend Experiences is a community that I had a hard time finding adjustable for my post. Not because there were any problems with it, but because I couldn't manage to organise my ideas to comply with the rules and suggestions, which are so kindly detailed in the guide post. @galenkp, you are not only an extraordinary host and administrator but a guy who has built a beautiful place within HIVE. I publicly acknowledge and appreciate that. I hope this post is worthy of the quality that here, almost daily, I have the pleasure to read and learn.
You made the right choice and I envy you for that 12h sleep. I can't do that, even if I have the time. I sleep for 7 hours, then I wake up, even if I'm dead tired. The place you've been to is nice.
Oh thank you, @erikah! Usually I sleep like 8 hrs per day but that one when I did 12 hrs came before a previous day of not sleeping and work hard... Trust me, I felt instantly sleep. Lovely comment of yours. A big hug!
No need to thanking me. It is my pleasure, I respect and love your community, @galenkp