Update from the Edge
Image by miguel sinisterra
I’m sitting outside a cafe in Tarifa, Spain, sipping a tiny coffee, reflecting on the twists and turns of my life. I want to be in motion, so I finish my journal entry and go for a walk along the cobblestone streets of the old town, protected from the wind by the closeness of the whitewashed buildings.
Tarifa sits at the southernmost point of Continental Europe, an Andalucian oasis of kite surfers and dreamers. It marks the point where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea. Flat sandy beaches and rolling natural parks spread out from this invisible boundary. Here, the vibe is easy, and watching sunsets is a thing. I collect shells and soft stones on the beach and catch glimpses of the coast of Africa from the rooftops.
In the afternoon, I walk the Camino that winds through the Parque Natural del Estrecho. The wind strengthens as the sun moves closer to the horizon, and I take advantage of its growing force. Standing at the edge of a massive rock, I look out at the sea and stretch out my arms. The air swirls around my body and then moves through me. I connect with its cleansing energy and ask it to wash away everything I’m ready to let go of. Take my sorrows and remove my fears. Release me from my bad decisions and absolve me of my regrets. They slip away into the atmospheric current and mingle with the strips of clouds above. Gentle birdsong welcomes me back to earth, and I continue my journey.
People come to this town for two days and stay for two years. Many talk of returning, and some make it back. For me, two weeks became a month that became another month. The end comes in and out of view like I’m riding down a curvy highway.
I go for an evening walk and stop to chat with a friend. ‘Love is like the wind,’ he tells me. ‘It pushes and pulls, a force beyond us, holding us up while moving us in all directions.’
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