Life Lessons from the Galapagos
It has now been a week since I returned from the Galapagos, and I can still close my eyes, and see the islands in the distance and feel the 78 degree clear blue water and imagine myself floating facedown in my snorkel, watching the fish. I can still hear, or not hear, the complete silence while hiking the volcano. And I can still smell and taste the sea air.
Yes, it has stayed with me, but in more profound ways than just my senses. An extraordinary trip such as this lingers in other ways, in ways that are life lessons.
One life lesson is the ability to live in harmony – with nature, and with other species. As one guide, Celso, often said, “here you have it, folks, only in the Galapagos, coexistence like this.” Every passenger has pictures of different animals being side by side, without intereference or care.
Second life lesson is the ability to live without fear. Quoting Mr. Linblad, when he is asked about what he most appreciates about Galapagos, “the answer is always the same: the total, utter lack of fear from any living creature.” Again, luckily the guides pointed this out, often, because it is so natural that you could pass it by. But once you pay attention, the impression and the honor of experiencing it becomes deeper with each encounter. And you focus on preserving it, and following the rules to not cause harm or change to this fragile way of being.
Which brings me to the third life lesson – honoring all that lives. Galapagos gives a forum to experience pure unspoiled nature and a living example of how man could interact with nature, and each other, in a different way, incorporating love and respect.
Just these three lessons from the Galapagos have given me an internal, expansive peace. And good thing, because I depend on it to suffer the culture shock that I have upon my return, after just 1 week there!
