TRAVEL WRITING PROMPT
Springtime On The Atlantic Coast
What a wonderful world this backyard is
Reimagining travel is a prerequisite of our times. Domestic has become the new foreign with flying restrictions and the hassle and danger of roaming to far-away places.
Even city-searching has lost its joy, with shops closed and people hiding away in the safety of their homes. The strange silence of city life has replaced the buzz of city life.
Maybe that’s okay, though. Maybe it’s just the quiet that we needed. At least for a moment in time.
This new quiet begs us to explore what we thought we already knew. The routes and commutes we brush by without notice. The exotic beaches and nature in our own cities. Maybe even in our own backyards. Things that seemed secondary on our way to our busy lives have become the primary feature of our days.
For instance, a walk outside could now symbolize freedom, where it once represented an “extra” when there was time. For me, a walk by the Atlantic coastline in the Greater Lisbon area is always humbling. Now more than ever. In just a 20 minute drive from my house, I am surrounded by wild nature. On some days I go alone. On others, I take another kind of quiet company: my dog.
The best part is that now the scenery is springing into life with the onset of springtime. A rebirth in the fullest sense of the word. This area of Guincho beach is much more authentic than other beaches on the coastline. It is farther away from the city — a beautiful kind of free.
I’ve been to this beach many times. I’ve walked along its dunes, bathed in its sun, jogged along its boardwalk, and frozen my body in its ocean. Still, I always find something new. The beach may change with the seasons and color of the day, but what changes most upon each visit is me.
When we think of exploring and traveling, it is usually associated with distant locations. Somewhere where we can get lost and find something that was missing where we were. And although I still wish to explore the world on these terms, I have also found that we don’t need a place to get lost in. We need to be the lost place that gets found in the place we are already in.
“Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before” — Dalai Lama
Going someplace you’ve never been before can mean a new route, a new park, or a new beach. It can also mean a new town or a new country. But what if it also meant a new place you’ve never been within yourself?
Places are just places until they move you. Until they change you in some way. But for that change to occur, you need to be paying attention, taking it in. Even if it is just your backyard, even if it’s somewhere, you have been before. Explore beyond the surface, and you will be a traveler in every step you take!
A big thank you to The World Traveler’s Blog for the beautiful prompt “Looking for the beauty in life in your own backyard.” Such a great writing challenge!
#exploreyourbackyard
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