At the end of July and beginning of August, with a group of all so different people I went to Medugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Until we reached our destination, our bus crossed Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Croatia. Those were three tiresome days and two nights on the bus, with me so knackered and annoyed that there were no proper toilet stops, showering and sleeping (this is supposed to be 21st Century...) organized. But this was a pilgrimage and eventually I had to accept that me being trapped here, is not without a reason. Comfort is something you expect when on a business trip, vacation or honey moon. This time it had to be different.
Yes, it was a pilgrimage. Not that I am Christian or something, but my soul needed some cleaning, a zoom-in and a zoom-out, or maybe it wished to establish a closer connection with a bigger power. Either way, something indeed happened. Where in situations I would usually explode and show the worst side of my character I managed to stay calm, observe, contemplate and accept. While some of us constantly could not be in peace with something (sitting together with a person you don’t like, sleeping four people in one room, getting up at 5 am, or eating cold food three times a day) I just took a deep breath, thought for a while and started to enjoy the odd situation and people I had come together with.
After the trip I realized I am not such a princess I had imagined before to be. I came to conclusion that I can cope with discomfort fairly well, apart from basic needs like a sufficient time for toilet and proper food. But I can easily do without makeup and washing my hair, not making fuzz about it until the chance comes (I would certainly not run to brush my tooth and comb my hair early in the morning while my boyfriend is still sound asleep, f o r e x a m p l e). But I no more need to convince myself that bus trips should be avoided in future. It’s activities I need: walking, running, climbing, stretching. While sitting can kill me.
You think I was all so brilliant and pure? Well, not at all. I and my friend used to explore the nearest and remotest grape yards to pick berries for the greedy taste-buds. We tried our best to find fields with the ripest grapes which were well secluded from the locals and the everywhere-being pilgrims (and risking with our bare feet to come across with scorpions). The least we wanted was to be caught and publicly banished. We did find grapes, and despite them being treated with some crazy green chemicals, we ate them full palms until our mouths were sour and bellies started to ache…Arh, that’s the price you pay when doing a bad job. We picked figs as well and did not bother much there was a shop selling them next corner… But those three peaches left untouched in the tree (in our neighbor’s garden) just because they were completely immature. Good for them.
Yes, it was a pilgrimage. Not that I am Christian or something, but my soul needed some cleaning, a zoom-in and a zoom-out, or maybe it wished to establish a closer connection with a bigger power. Either way, something indeed happened. Where in situations I would usually explode and show the worst side of my character I managed to stay calm, observe, contemplate and accept. While some of us constantly could not be in peace with something (sitting together with a person you don’t like, sleeping four people in one room, getting up at 5 am, or eating cold food three times a day) I just took a deep breath, thought for a while and started to enjoy the odd situation and people I had come together with.
After the trip I realized I am not such a princess I had imagined before to be. I came to conclusion that I can cope with discomfort fairly well, apart from basic needs like a sufficient time for toilet and proper food. But I can easily do without makeup and washing my hair, not making fuzz about it until the chance comes (I would certainly not run to brush my tooth and comb my hair early in the morning while my boyfriend is still sound asleep, f o r e x a m p l e). But I no more need to convince myself that bus trips should be avoided in future. It’s activities I need: walking, running, climbing, stretching. While sitting can kill me.
You think I was all so brilliant and pure? Well, not at all. I and my friend used to explore the nearest and remotest grape yards to pick berries for the greedy taste-buds. We tried our best to find fields with the ripest grapes which were well secluded from the locals and the everywhere-being pilgrims (and risking with our bare feet to come across with scorpions). The least we wanted was to be caught and publicly banished. We did find grapes, and despite them being treated with some crazy green chemicals, we ate them full palms until our mouths were sour and bellies started to ache…Arh, that’s the price you pay when doing a bad job. We picked figs as well and did not bother much there was a shop selling them next corner… But those three peaches left untouched in the tree (in our neighbor’s garden) just because they were completely immature. Good for them.
I can confess to another punishable deed. On a second day we two found a great restaurant in Medugorje, just across the church. It was so good that we started to have almost all our meals there. Just before and after the Holy Mass, exactly when pilgrims were counting Rosary, worshiping or attending nightly adorations. We were treating ourselves with excellent pizzas, salads and adorable local wines, and admitting that this tour could as well be listed under the [sacred] vacation file. Not sure HOW sacred it finally was, but this experience was worth considering of returning some day.
No comments:
Post a Comment