The last three months have been, without a doubt, a truly incredible experience; not least because of the challenge (physical, linguistic, strategic, etc.), the opportunities for introspection, the company, the food (“and the wine!”), and ultimately because of the four wonderful countries I’ve had the privilege to walk through. The result has been a religious, cultural and emotional rollercoaster – and I have little to compare it to. Of one thing I am sure though: there are precious few better ways to spend a student loan.
I would trade my memories of arrival in Laon, steeped in lassitude, or the triumph and relief of a safe arrival at the Grand St Bernard Pass, for nothing. Indeed, it is very possible to worry, particularly about this marathon of a three month experience, that one will not remember everything; and that parts of the rich ninety day tapestry of experience will simply blend into an unmemorable homogenous mass. But in the same way that I am content with the imminent end of this experience, I am similarly at peace with the idea of eventually forgetting much of the finer detail (that not written down). To quote Cervantes a final time:
“Every man is the child of his own deeds.”
Don Quixote
Influential, and formative experiences, even if not precisely remembered in all their horror and glory, remain parts of us, and as with all experience, guide our future choices.
Distance to Rome: 59 miles