Adventure Part Two

Traveling through the Simplon Pass on Monday, it was easy to see how this would inspire William Wordsworth to write. I also can somewhat relate to him seeking education and knowledge through his travels and life rather than at the university. (Though, if you're reading this, Mom and Dad, I'm not dropping out of college.) Even though our group took a bus up the mountains to get to the pass, it was overwhelming. Seeing something so much bigger than yourself, bigger than yourself in every way was one of the most moving feelings I've ever had. Something about seeing something so huge, both physically and ideally, brought me to every big feeling I've had... every huge moment I've experienced. Perhaps I subconsciously wanted to know I had something that great. Simultaneously to my thoughts on inadequacy towards these overpowering mountains, I was taken back to thoughts of our groups discussion last week about nature. As I tried to get every bit of this experience on film, ever click of the shutter of the camera brought me back to that discussion. While I sat there pining over these large mounds of rock, tree, snow, and ice, giving them credit for something which they had no control over, which is of course just existing, I realized that nature did not care about me. I could climb all of the mountains, hike every beautiful valley and all it has to offer me is a breathtaking view and the humble realization of my utter smallness. They didn't think anything of me, in fact they don't think at all. They simply are. There is something beautiful and sad about that. It is beautiful that without any thought, they are stunning and create emotion as big as they; but it is sad that all of these people are giving them praise and worship for their mere existence. It is overpowering for a person to realize a lack of control, but this is humbling to realize God's power. And though this poem was not assigned to this trip, Gerard Manley Hopkins' God's Grandeur comes to mind. The very first line I think summarizes all that I have tried to explain in this piece, "The world is charged with the grandeur of God."