I think it’s extremely important to realize just how vast this world is. It’s easy to forget how fleeting the human experience is when you’re wrapped up in the hustle of city life, but standing on a ridge overlooking a massive expanse of forest reminds me that humans are a very new addition to this planet.
A Face the Current Travel Connection Feature, published in Winter 2019 issue. Read in PRINT here, SUBSCRIBE, or continue reading this article below.
If you have spent time with local Elders or ‘wisdom keepers’ when traveling, what are some meaningful lessons, shared experiences, or perspectives you learned from them?
I was fortunate enough to participate in an Inca Shamanic ceremony to the Sun God (Inti) and the Mother Earth (Pachamama) on the solstice. This ceremony has been performed every year for over 600 years, and it was bone-chilling, to say the least. Respect for the planet permeates everything they do, and it’s easy to see the pain they’re feeling for our current path of environmental destruction. I’ve always been a tree-hugger and avid conservationist, but to see an elder perform this ceremony while apologizing to the earth for our transgressions nearly moved me to tears.
Do you see world travels as unlocking wisdom that could not be gained from a book or “home-study” alone?
Oh yes, absolutely. Travel is the ultimate exercise in improvisation and adaptation. No matter how well prepared you are, the real world will always throw a wrench into your plans and force you to adjust on the fly. It’s thrilling and perhaps one of my favorite things about it!
If you are an outdoors enthusiast, what are some of the valuable lessons/wisdom that can be gained from our connection with and time spent in ‘the wild?’
I think it’s extremely important to realize just how vast this world is. It’s easy to forget how fleeting the human experience is when you’re wrapped up in the hustle of city life, but standing on a ridge overlooking a massive expanse of forest reminds me that humans are a very new addition to this planet. It reminds me that I am but a blink of the eye in the cosmos and that there’s more to this life than grinding away at a desk. If you only get one pass through this world, why wouldn’t you want to get out and see as much of it as possible?
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Nate Luebbe / www.nateluebbe.com / Instagram
Where I call home: Seattle, Washington
