Monthly Challenge

Not Many Countries But Diversity Of Terrains

The magic is all around us

Since I read the article about Globetrotters’ February challenge, I wanted to write about my experiences and share photos of my journeys. The topic was fascinating and… in some respect, easy. Or so I thought. As a hobby landscape photographer, I have terabytes of photos showing the beauty of our planet and its various terrains.

However, February turned out to be a super busy month, and I had no time for writing. The last weekend approached and… I just had to write something. I opened my hard drive, and though I have digital photos only from my trips of the last decade and hardly any from Europe (when I lived and travelled there, everything was on film), I struggled to choose just a few.

While going through the photos, I discovered something else, in some respect absolutely unrelated to travels and terrain, though… Isn’t life a journey too? Every picture I looked at brought me back to the moment I took it. I didn’t always remember the name of the place, but I always remembered what the circumstances were and how I felt when I took the particular shot.

And so, going through the folders of photos, year by year, place by place, I found myself on a journey through my life. Isn’t life itself just like the terrain of our beautiful planet? It can be rough and rugged, or smooth and flat; covered with rocks and boulders, lush green grass, or soft sand; dry and dead, or covered with forests and booming with life, or an entire ecosystem can hide underwater. However, regardless of how the landscape and terrains are, there is always some beauty hiding in them; we just need to learn to see it. And so it is with life.

I always want to sit next to a window when I travel on aircraft. Partially because I’m claustrophobic (I don’t like being in closed places; when I sit next to a window on an aeroplane, I can look out, which calms me down). But even if I didn’t have a fear of being locked in a “coffin”, I still would love to sit next to the window and see our planet in the way birds see it. When we perceive it from high above, everything seems so tiny, as if the towns below were built from Lego bricks.

Though I haven’t been to that many places, I could write books to describe just the various terrains I visited and all the adventures I had. Therefore, I will just show the photos instead of writing much and add a few sentences about why I chose these trips.

Dolomites — Italy

I love all mountains; however, the Dolomite Alps hold a special place in my heart. When I lived in Germany, Andy and I would go skiing in these beautiful mountains in winter.

Andy was my first love, and the first years of our relationship were like a fairytale. We lived together, studied together and travelled together. The Dolomites are a paradise for skiers. At that time, my life was just perfect. I was very happy….

My relationship with Andy didn’t last. The last year or two of our relationship was dreadful, pure terror, but… I have forgiven him and moved on. Thanks to forgiveness, I can look at these photos and feel the joy I felt when I was skiing there with him. I have a big smile on my face while I write this. Yes, this was a beautiful chapter in my life.

Australia

I arrived in Australia more than 17 years ago, and from the moment I looked out the window of the aircraft that brought me here, I felt at home. For the first time ever, I had the feeling of being in the place I belonged to. I knew Australia would be my new home country

I came here to join Andy, the man I believed to be the love of my life… He broke my heart, and I found myself homeless and faced a lot of adversities. Yet I fell in love with this country, and every day, this love grew stronger and stronger.

I have shared many photos from my life and travels in Australia, so I won’t be going too deep into this topic. Just a few snapshots from the driest continent on earth which can also be lush green and full of life.

New Zealand — South Island

I went twice to the South Island of New Zealand, and both times I was fascinated by the amazing beauty of this country and its versatile terrain.

From a personal point of view, these trips mark opposite ends of a particular chapter in my life.

When, for the first time, I went to New Zealand, I was full of hopes and dreams relating to my marriage. I thought that maybe one day George would come there with me. I knew George struggled with the big changes in his life, living on the farm, looking after his parents, etc. I hoped that one day everything would get better… I thought I could change it and make it better…

The second trip was two years later. The previous year I did everything as George wanted it to be, everything was his way, and I adjusted as much as I could to make him happy. But nothing changed… George was always angry with me. I was never good enough. He was furious with me, saying I should change and become a better person.

When I mentioned something about how I felt, he yelled at me that he didn’t care about my feelings as it was my problem, not his. Life at home was a horror… I was constantly stressed and scared, feeling lonely most of the time…

And so, while travelling through the magnificent terrains, I realised that life and the world were too beautiful to waste it. I went to all the wonderful places thinking to myself, “Thank god I’m here alone, and I can enjoy the places and moments without anyone criticising me and pushing me down. I’m alone, but I’m not lonely anymore.”

I came home and asked for a divorce… I was free… emotionally free, and that’s most important.

Yes, George and I still live on the same property, and I support him as a friend, but the emotional connection is long gone. This makes a huge difference.

Canada — From the Rockies to the Prairie to the Lakes

I made this trip in 2016, and this was a trip of a lifetime! I mean, for so long, I dreamed of visiting Norther America, and this trip took me across Canada.

The entire trip was documented through letters to John, which I started to publish here, so I won’t say much. Just show a few pictures which offer such a fantastic diversity of landscapes and terrains.

And for those who would like to know about my trip or see more photos, just check my list, “Letters to John — from Canada”. Soon I will publish more letters.

Of course, I loved the mountains! But the Prairie and the Badlands are spectacular too. I spent hours in the Horseshoe Canyon and at the Hoodoos.

The salty lakes and the terrains covered under salt were something I had seen for the first time, and I found them absolutely fascinating!

And when the prairie ended the lakes and forests started.

New Zealand —North Island

This was my last oversea trip, which was in 2019. The next trip was planned for 2020, but COVID hit and put everything upside down…

My weirdest experience was when people asked me, “Which Island do you find more beautiful? The North Island or the South Island?”

The islands are entirely different. They can’t be compared. It was as if someone asked me, “What do you prefer, potatoes or chocolate cake?” Well, I love them both. I’ll have potatoes for dinner and cake for dessert.

When I was a teenager, an elderly wise lady told me, “Never chase money, just experiences. Travel a lot and learn, and you will have no regrets”. When I look back at my life and all my travels, I have to say the lady was right! If I should die today, I can tell I have lived my life — I have enjoyed all the terrains it gave me! They all have a unique beauty in them.

In the future I hope to travel more, and here are a couple of articles which talk about places I would love to visit one day: