By Fatima AlMarar
For the past five years now, I have been visiting Europe every spring break with my family. It has always been the same: road-trips that start in Germany, then France, Italy and Austria.
We would visit the same countries but roam through and around new places, try new activities and learn more about the area we stay in. However, I almost got bored of Europe. I never thought of it as a getaway and have always seen it as a family routine until last year.
After a very stressful semester, I counted the days until it’s spring break again. I, more than anything, wanted to leave this place and head out somewhere far.
I promised myself this time I would look at this family trip in another way, focus on all the new things and look at it as a getaway after a hectic semester.
Lochau in Austria, is where I got myself back together. The Lochau Forest to be specific, is what got me back up again, held my emotions together and truly refreshed my soul. I felt connected to mother nature. Everything else did not matter at that exact moment.
All that was on my mind is the sound of birds echoing through the pine trees. It cleared my mind of everything that was draining me.
I never thought a place so simple would do this much to my emotions. I never realized the only place I desperately needed was the place I least appreciated.
But you live and learn. And that taught me to appreciate the little things.
We get caught up in life and everything around us, but do we ever sit for a moment and appreciate it no matter how little it was?
It was truly a getaway, both a physical and mental getaway.
This story was originally published on Jan. 9, 2018. It was re-uploaded on Jan. 3, 2021.
