Through all the pain and hurt that life puts us through, we continue to live for that one moment of satisfaction, that one moment of exhilarating joy. Be it the cry of a newborn held to the bosom of his mother, or a father's sense of contentedness on seeing his daughter at the marriage altar, or the mere sight of a clear rainbow after the rain, it is these moments that keep us moving. It is these brief moments of intense joy, that helps us endure the upsets of life and lead us to believe in tomorrow. And when I made that climb on the Canadian Shield, to reach a peak overlooking the Bellevue valley, the view from the summit gave me one of those moments.
We drove from Toronto, struggling through rush hour traffic, to be welcomed by open highways on our trip to the Algoma region in Central Ontario. 8 hours later we were driving through complete darkness, a lone set of headlights making its way through the night towards a chalet in the woods near Bellevue valley. As we began to near our destination the moon decided to give us a glimpse of what would be our home for the next 3 nights. As she came out of hiding from beneath the clouds a frozen lake revealed itself with a pine forest in the background, and in the stillness of that beautiful moment I was aware that our SUV was the only object that disrupted the quiet of the night. Soon we were all within the warmth of our beautiful chalet, and despite our tiring journey we couldn't help but celebrate our excitement before we called it a night.
The next 2 days the region opened to us, showcasing her beauty along every road we drove, every trail we hiked. Robin and Enn, our wonderful hosts, and residents in Bellevue valley for more than 20 years, helped us make the most of our short stay. Just thinking about the whole weekend brings back a flood of memories,..........hiking with Enn to the Bellevue valley, discovering a trail to Gros Cap, the spectacular views on the Trans-Canada highway, the rugged beauty of the mountains, the friendly people we met along the way......memories that will be etched on my mind forever. The Trans-Canada highway(between Sault St. Marie and Wawa) offers one of the most marvellous drives, the highway seems to neatly force it's way through mountain and st0ne as it offers a view of Lake Superior on one side and the Canadian Shield on the other.
This is the best trip I have made in a long time, and the reason is I wasn't waking up in a hotel room, I wasn't spending my time looking for parking spots, I wasn't faced with the mechanical and monotonous drawl of conducted tours. This time I was an explorer, I was finding my way on my own, talking to local people to chart our trip, driving along less travelled roads, walking along less traversed paths. And it makes me wonder, isn't it true in our own lives? We fear the uncommon, just like the conducted tour we follow our lives as dictated to us. But if we decide to end the monotony and follow our hearts where it takes us, despite the darkness that may surround us along our journey, when the sun shines upon you at your destination, you will realise that you have given meaning to your life.
No comments:
Post a Comment