Wednesday Walk in Patanemo, Venezuela

Walking through Patanemo again, that hidden place nestled among the mountains that filled me with peace. It was hot that day, but I was so positive and relaxed that everything seemed beautiful, and not just because it was beautiful, but because my soul was truly connected to this town, its breeze, its silence, and even its warmth, which wasn't bothersome at all. I've written a lot about the sea from that trip, but I found much of the magic in this town, which is actually part of the outskirts. Here, earth and vegetation reign supreme; these are the houses closest to the national park, which is only a few meters from the residential area. I was happy walking these dirt streets, happy with the simplest things, which is why I don't understand why we can't hold onto that feeling we already experienced, and why we allow ourselves gray days...

In the midst of our daily routines, moments always appear in our lives that discourage us, that make us feel like things aren't progressing, and that eventually make us see the world in a bleak light. I've personally worked a lot on my mindset, and that has brought me very good things, tangible things, things I can feel in my energy. It's for this very reason that I question why there are days when nothing seems to work and I let myself be filled with negative thoughts, even though I know the answer and the solution to so many things that torment me. I'm writing these words because right now I'm so far removed from any travel, even from my afternoons or weekends of hiking, for various reasons, and it seems that this connection with nature, now that I know it, is fundamental in helping me maintain my peace.

Walking through the streets of Patanemo made me feel wonderful. I was with the people I love most, my little family, and for many kilometers we were truly alone, surrounded by a vast natural expanse. There were mountainous areas, shrouded in mist and the most beautiful greenery, opposite the marshes that embraced the dry land, becoming lagoons as they stretched out from view. To the north, an endless sky stretched before us, as just a few meters beyond, beyond many palm trees, lay the sea. The feeling was perfect, and on trips like these, I even forget my life in the city. There's nothing better than feeling small in the face of nature when it reveals its most beautiful side 🙏

I'm happy in the capital too. If you read me regularly, you'll know that being surrounded by music, my wife, my friends, and nature usually fills me with the most sublime feelings, but unfortunately, I still succumb to low feelings and gray days. I think it's normal; it's usually unresolved issues within me, a past that always rears its head and tries to bring me down, but I already have the tools to fight it. Even so, there are days when I seem masochistic and allow myself to be enveloped by uncertainty, doubt, complaining, exhaustion, and other things I detest, and they all come together to make the day truly awful. It surprises me that even at my age, even knowing the solution to every problem, I still fall... And don't get me wrong, there are things that have no solution, but I know that we have to let go of those particular things in time.

We're already far from those vacation days that help us cope with the daily grind. Dates like Carnival, Christmas, Easter, and others are long gone. This April and the months to come seem destined to be all about work, even the weekends, but it's still good to stay active. The problem is when the people around you don't feel the same way and try to disrupt everyone's peace. It doesn't usually affect me; I'm always very positive. But you know how it is: when one piece of fruit is rotten, it easily contaminates others around it, and that's where our true strength comes in, along with the practice of this path of wisdom we're building. I keep falling and getting back up at the same time. I repeat it, and it sounds strange, but at least I'm not staying stuck in the pit.

It's Wednesday afternoon here, right in the middle of the week. The first few days weren't the best, including yesterday, one of the worst Tuesdays of my year. I can't let so much bitterness linger; I have the power to change the air I breathe if I so choose. And after some prayer, meditation, and even a few tears, I've decided to reclaim my week. I still have time to make it great, and in fact, it has been, because so many good things have happened, and I haven't given them the importance they deserve because I've been blinded by anger, sadness, and discontent.

Wednesday Walk always feels like an escape from reality. A sacred moment midweek to meditate and remind myself how beautiful life is. I take many photos on my travels and delete the ones I've already used, but I always keep some saved for when inspiration strikes and when I need to reconnect with these places that once saved my soul... This walk was almost two years ago, and at the time I shared the most amazing photos, but these ones I'm sharing today are the most humble: a small house in the middle of nowhere, the facade of a church I didn't go inside, and the deserted streets of a town in my country where even the owners don't seem to be there, since they work as vendors on the beach.

I had a phenomenal weekend. From the moment I woke up Saturday morning, after sleeping an almost unbelievable number of hours, I decided to stay home. No gym, no singing, no friends, and hardly any Hive, because I only posted a couple of things those days and left early. It was wonderful, and I only went out briefly on Sunday to go to church. I needed that weekend to recharge, and I thought I had, but from the first hour of Monday, life managed to spoil things for me with small, albeit numerous, details... I want to think that I really didn't relax enough, or maybe my weekend was missing a couple of days, I don't know, but I do know that I realized it and wanted to fix it.

Right now I feel very serene again. I've been reflecting since last night, so I put on my best outfit and went to work. It went really well; I got a new solo in the choir that I'm really excited about. I went to the gym and survived the dumbbell curls 😅 I hugged and gave a big smile to the people who contributed a little to making my day not so great yesterday—people I love who don't do things out of malice. And now I'm reliving my trip to Patanemo with this virtual walk, listening to the most beautiful Catholic music. The power to change our environment is within ourselves. Problems will always be out there, but we must face them with grace to emerge victorious from every setback... If you're reading this, I apologize for the length of this post, but I really needed to get these words out 🙏