When heaven meets the earth

by Ana Montez (Portugal)

I didn't expect to find Norway

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Still stunned from my sleep, I opened the curtains of my little cabin. I was lost on a huge cruise ship. I looked closer with eyes fixated on such natural beauty. In the blink of an eye, I was dressed and full of adrenaline. My lungs were craving the crisp morning air. I sprinted without a thought to the top of this luxurious vessel, climbing several flights of stairs in the process. “A little closer with each step.” I thought to myself as I huffed and puffed my way to the top. Once I peered out at my surroundings I understood the instinctive urge within me to make haste during my morning routine. Standing beside the ship’s towering chimney I could see those natural water veils being born through cascading green valleys, so full of life. The water was clear and gentle. It was coming down through grey rocks, softly touching the Antarctic Ocean. I couldn’t wait for my feet to touch the earth. As soon as I left the cruise ship, I knew something was about to change. Although I was surrounded by many people, I felt alone in my own world, but I did not feel any loneliness. Instead, I felt I had everything I needed, and it was within myself. I was overtaken by a sense of curiosity as I wet my feet in the ice-cold water. It drove me crazy, but I couldn’t help myself. Nobody around me was doing such a thing. I thought to myself at some point “Who cares? ”. I challenged myself to hold onto that experience. I was looking at my feet submerged in the most crystal-clear water I had ever seen and it began not to matter how cold it was. I observed some interesting algae which seemed to be a green and brown sea nest. It was mysterious and captured my attention, however, I did not trust myself to touch it. I admired it regardless. I walked through unbelievably steep paths of immense diversity. Even when I had that burning sensation in my legs, I did not want to stop. I could not resist taking pictures of every single corner which was full of wild vegetation or the beauty of contrasting black mountains and the clear blue of the sea. I planned to take these photographs home as a physical reminder of my adventure and discovery. The birds were flying gracefully through the air as the shrubs moved gently in the wind. Many species of flowers were beginning to bloom. I found myself next to a powerful river and here I tasted the purest water. I splashed some onto my face which refreshed me down to my soul. An awe-inspiring landscape sprawled out in front of me and it raised within me a question “How could man ever destroy such a fine work of art?”. It was getting late and without expectations, the best had yet to come. I retreated back to the houseboat. Sometime after it started moving on its way, I looked to the horizon, saying a silent goodbye to paradise. Those short hours, lost within Mother Nature made me feel something I had never experienced before. It was some kind of magical inner peace. I think it happens when the happiness in our hearts overflow. Maybe it is because we cannot handle such masterful energy without feeling an overwhelming peace within ourselves first. Suddenly, half of the sky was night while the other half dazzled the faded colors of the day, stretching to the end of the visible sky. It was the midnight sun. “So, this is what heaven feels like,” I thought. Life is precious when it comes to these meaningful feelings. It has the power to make one feel alive. Nothing seems to go as far beyond that feeling you get when you are able to admire the power and beauty of the earth. This is the last thing I expected.