Ruone is on the road

A Mental Trip in Zakopane,Restart

POLAND | Saturday, 21 April 2012 | Views [641]

-“Tom, are you born in Zakopane?”

-“Born and bred.”

-“If you got a chance to live in another place, will you go?”

-“Not really. Why? Our mountain is beautiful here.”

Tom beamed a smile with pride. The red color of his jacket of ski instructor appeared even more pleasant against the white field of Zakopane ski resort.

“Just practice a little bit what I’ve shown you and I’ll right back.” Said Tom, and he turned to a kid who had fell down.

It was about one hour before sunset on the hillside. Rosy clouds were climbing up from the end of vision and secretly dying the sky. Golden shines hooded the top of the Alps and gave everything a diamond-like reflection. Those snow-coped cedar trees along the ski track, whose contours were outlined by afterglow, looked like maids wearing yarns in ancient oriental emperor’s palace. The dangling lifts went up and down lazily after one day’s work. Rays of sunshine shot through tiny holes on the wooden lattice glared indistinctly. Every now and then, at the far end of the snow field, white dust raised by ski board misted and melted into sky together with the cheerful screams.

I guess that everyone could find Zakopane breathtakingly attractive in the winter. It is blessed with stretching mountain ranges, infinite forest, huge lakes, etc. All are covered by spotless snow or crystal-like ice and exposed in mild sunshine with sleighs and carriages shuttling in between. Living in Zakopane should be just like being in a fairy tale. But, “Never thought of living in another place”?

Since young, I have always been moving from one place to another. At first I merely followed my parents, but soon I started to be very conscious of my lust of exploring the unknown world. No matter it was for living, studying or travelling, I was left for a new destination every certain period of time. Maybe for being young and energetic, I had never got the feeling that I was supposed to stay in somewhere forever. It has nothing to do with whether those places that I have been were good enough or not. Actually I once fell in love with many of them. When I was motoring in narrow winding trails in thick and towering woods on the island of Bohol; when I was snorkeling with Nemo(clownfish) and turtle in El Nido; when I had po cha and fresh-steamed baozi in a Tibetan bar in Garze; When I jumped off the seven meters high waterfall in Montseny; When I swam in the natural lake in Lleida; I couldn’t deny that this question came to me many times, “would you like to stop and stay?”. The answer was “no”. Something has been dragging my heart towards new destinations.

But at that moment when Tom so firmly said that he was so willingly stay in Zakopane, my faith in travelling was slightly vacillated. Why would I run back and forth in search of Dorado while I could be just as happy and satisfied staying at home like Tom?

It was already dark when I arrived in town that afternoon. The streets were lightened up and refilled with people like me who had finished a exhausting day of skiing or hiking and back to the tiny cozy town for food and bed. Peddlers of gadgets were surrounded by kids with curious eyes. Subtle silhouette were seen beneath the dim yellow light within warm walls of restaurants through the fogged-up windows. Families, lovers and groups of friends kept bushing past, chatting loudly in different languages, all sounded charmingly exotic to me. I bought some grilled goat cheese with raspberry jam in a food stand. It was delicious. Everything was just so beautiful as they should be that made me wonder that if I were born in Zakopane, will I still be leaving?

Back in the hostel, I found Steward using internet in the common room. He is a freelance author for column of tourism in a magazine, a professional traveler and explorer. We met here in hostel Flamingo. He told me that he was touring in East Europe. I thought it would be a good idea to talk with him about my confusion.

-“Hi, Steward. Do you have a second?” I asked slightly.

-“Yep, tell me.” He raised the head up from the laptop screen and stared at me with his deep brown eyes.

-“It’s just… I’m confused with something…I’d like to ask if you ever thought of giving up travelling and living in a place for the rest of your life. I mean, if you love that place enough.”

-“mm…It’s hard to say ‘love’ towards somewhere before you have got sufficient experience.”

-“What do you mean exactly?”

-“For example, if one says that apple is his favorite fruit, he should have said it after having tasted pear, peach, banana, pineapple, watermelon, kiwi fruit, lychee, etc. If not, he just BELIEVES that apple is his favorite fruit.

-“Maybe someone who DOES love eating apple won’t care if there are other fruits in the world.

I told him about Tom and that how I envy him to have a firm love toward one place and I wonder if I should stop travelling and settle down. “That boy is lucky.” commented Steward.” Few of us could get the chance to find exactly what he expected in where he is born. People who could realize the luck they own are even less. But one thing is certain that there are a thousand worlds in a thousand people’s eyes. One can never judge his life by comparing with the life of others. There are many people who are satisfied with the limited circle in where they live and will spend the whole life. They will be just as happy or unhappy as they those who enjoy throwing themselves in adventures. You should answer the call of your heart. Do what will make you feel ease and justified.”

-“I guess you will not give up travelling yourself, right?” I asked.

-“Maybe on the day that I will be too old to move.” He answered with smile. “Being on the road is the status that suits me best.”.

-“Thank you, Steward.”

Lying in the bed with the words of steward were lingering in my mind, I couldn't stop thinking of the happy moments I had and those people I met during every travel. I think I am also the kind of person who is born for the road, as Steward. It is not because that I am greedier than Tom in respect to life but we are just different.

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That night I had a dream. I was a little bird who was flying with a large flock. The birds around me landed one by one until where was only me left. But I could not land because I was a bird without feet. So I kept flying across the sea and the mountain, across the forest and the valley. Strangely I didn’t feel tired; on the contrary, my body was lighter and lighter. I was so happy that I laughed and danced in the sky…

When I woke up, it was already around 10 o’clock. I was supposed to be in Cracow that day. So quickly I packed, said goodbye to everyone, checked out and started the trip again. Yes, a new start with a firmer faith to be on the road.

Tags: some small thoughts during the trip to zakpane