Moments Journeyed

I walked, eyes scoping out what seemed like a world enveloped in moss. Exposed tree trunks as wide and tall as modern day buses. Trees still standing with burnt out, hollowed trunks. It was deadly quiet, barely a soul around and then it happened. I saw it. Not just any tree, a giant spectacle of nature that immediately made me feel inadequate. Founder’s Tree stands at over 300 feet. Standing at the bottom and looking up, it felt like a modern day David versus Goliath. You look up to 300 feet of majestic redwood. A landmark. A piece of this world so spell-binding I felt guilty to not have known about its existence till that moment. The texture of the tree mirrored something akin to an elderly man’s worn down hands. Depicting a life of hard work but one well lived.

I guess you could say I was reluctant when my aunt suggested visiting the Avenue of the Giants. Trees, really? I was sure that I’d be bored. That it’d be a waste of my time. But as we pulled into the car park, the stillness overtaking me, it was apparent that my reluctance was premature. It was replaced by a sense of privilege, to be in a position to experience a true natural wonder.

Walking through the Avenue of the Giants was eerily beautiful and simultaneously confronting. My small place in this world never so obvious then right there, standing in the shadows of redwood beauty. Surrounded by nothing but remarkable trees and dead silence I was given the opportunity to reminisce and reassess. I discovered that nature, like a lot of things, has a strange way of teaching us lessons. Opening our eyes and broadening our sometimes narrow-mindedness. I left profoundly full. Full of gratitude, full of amazement and with an ignited passion for this world and its wonders. If you get the chance to, GO! Travel. Let the stillness of the air enter your heart and mind. Let it talk to you, let it heal you. If you've ever wanted to see nature at large, then this is for you. It’s simple yet transforming. Quiet but loud. You’ll arrive a skeptic and leave humbled.

It’s been said that once you live and love in more than one place you’ll never be completely home again and no truer words can be said for the Avenue of the Giants. A part of my soul will always rest within the Avenue and a part of the Avenue within me.