Sunday, March 15, 2009

I Survived Samaria G(e)orge...

It is amazing how an experience, something you have done or someone you've met can make a difference in your life. It is the moment you realise you are strong and that if you can survive this...you can make it anywhere (or something like that :-).

My moment was three years ago, the summer of 2006. I tend to talk about that summer a lot. Apart from the fact that I had the time of my life, on a Greek island, with my uni friends, there is another great reason to remember this particular summer. THE GORGE...

We were staying in Chania (Crete). The locals informed us (but we already knew) that there was a great walkabout, a gorge that every visitor who respects himself and herself should try and cross. It is a 16 km, rocky-kind of ground, with wild animals and 'cliffs'...it wasn't so bad! Just 5-6 hours of walking, getting fresh air, cleaning the lungs and exercising (oh and time for female bonding-I mean a 6 hour-walk with friends, talk about hanging out together :-)

So we started walking...


and walking...



and then we walked some more...





and six hours after our non-stop walk...

Hallelujah!!

Every time I am up against something that stresses me or gives me a hard time, I try to remember the hours I spend in that gorge. I felt tired, hot, exhausted, excited, small and helpless facing nature in all its beauty and power. I also felt like I was part of a team, companion and friendship, like this gorge had power over us, it could give us a tiny part of its 'strength' if we let it.

I think I learned a bit more about myself that day. I reached my limits...only to find out that this wasn't my limit after all. I learned more about the choice I made when it comes to my friends and the people I choose to hold close to me. I liked what I saw, my choices couldn't have been better when it came to friends.

We are still friends with the girls I went walking in that gorge. When you reach the end of the trail you end up in a village that one can approach only by sea or by crossing this gorge. A boat is waiting for you to take you back home, this time you don't have to walk, you just sit on the boat and the engine does the work. All you can do is look back where you came from, look at you and your friends and realise that you entered one 'door' in the morning and exited another one in the afternoon...you are not the same. You are stronger.

My friend Sophia gave me a T-shirt as a memoir...it is one of these things you can get in order to remember where you've been. The T-shirt has a sentence on it..."I Survived Samaria George". We laughed at the spelling mistake...I still have that T-shirt, still laugh, still love that "george"!

Check it out if you like...

take care now
peace and love
xoxo


9 comments:

tony said...

Thanks Those Photos bring back 2Me happy memories of Crete.A Beautiful part of The World.
Happy Mondays To You Marianna.

Candie said...

Wonderful pictures and what a great thing to remember.Strange I was talking yesterday about when my dad,brother went up to the mountains,when I was young.We walked for hours too and when we finally arrived at the spot,wow the view was astonishing!I just mention this yesterday,thinking that when my son will be older we will go up again,wonderful experience.
Have a great day:)

Brian Miller said...

nice pics. especially the one of the small pool. sounds like (and looks like) and amazing adventure. Love those moments

New Yorker wannabes said...

Hey all! Have a great (and eventful:-) week!!

Hey Tony, glad to help you bring back memories of Crete. It really is a place to remember and I think we are lucky to have been there lol

Hello Candie! thank you, happy you liked the pictures and I believe that great minds think alike, eh? Have a nice day and week lol

Hey Brian, it really is an adventure I can tell you that. You even meet a kind of animal (like a goat but not) called kri-kri. They only live in that place, amazing eh? Glad you stopped by lol

take care
peace and love
xoxo

Megan said...

I liked this story very much. Good for you and your friends!

Wonderful pictures, as well.

Hope you are having a good week!

Mrsupole said...

Those pictures were just beautiful,
I liked the story and your bravery. Most people would just give up and go back, but I guess once you cross the half-way point, you might as well finish.

When I was a teenager, we walked 25 miles in one day for charity. It was just through the city, but it was the fact that we made it, that was so important. I think back then people pledged "a penny" for each mile. We really thought we were doing something great. Your story brought back those memories.

But oh if I would have had such a wonderful walk, I might have done it more often. Beautiful, beautiful place to go walking.

God bless.

New Yorker wannabes said...

Hey Megan! I hope you are having a wonderful week too lol

Hello Mrsupole! Such a great thing to do, a walk for charity. I have taken part in a peace walk once :-) I think that the gorge of Samaria is one of the most beautiful places on earth to walk, but it is hard to do so as well lol

take care
peace and love
xoxo

Megan said...

It was interesting, when I went to the website almost the first thing they said was how to avoid the crowds! Last thing I would have thought of worrying about, but I guess it's something to think about!

New Yorker wannabes said...

I guess it is quite...crowded during the summer lol

interesting...
Take care Meg!
Peace and love
xoxo