Expedition 2012- 2019: Eva Sanchez

A little over seven years ago I embarked on a journey that would take me into the unknown. I left with a backpack full of illusions, old and heavy stones, doubts and questions, among other small and big things.

I began to walk, not knowing the destination to which I was heading, believing that it was simply a stroll through the already familiar surroundings. But after taking a few steps, I realized that this would be a great adventure, although I was not really aware of how much this would change my life and my view of it. I only knew that with each step I felt more and more convinced that this was my path, a path that brought me closer to that thing I longed for: home.

It was a long journey with an infinity of experiences, colors, textures and feelings. It was difficult to put into words, on the one hand because of the beauty of what I learned and the gifts I received along the way, but also, because of the extreme harshness at certain times, I even questioned whether I should continue on the path until the end. But deep down I always knew that I would never give up. Something very deep inside me was certain that I would reach the end and not let go of the dream of crowning that summit.

The journey demanded a deep involvement in the various aspects of life, from the material and economic to the core of my being. Tears at times flooded my existence making it difficult to move forward, but in others, the sun shone to dry all that pain and difficulty experienced, turning the stormy landscape into vivid spring colors of lush nature.

But in spite of the great climbs and the storms I have experienced, if I can say something today, it is that I am fully grateful for this adventure. An adventure of mirrors, entrails, of consciousness and awakenings, of internal and external struggles, of falling to rise again, of loneliness and community, of health and many symptoms screaming frantically to be heard and make sense. A journey that has shown me the innate and necessary polarity of life, that has taught me to welcome the diverse, both internal and external, that shows me that there is no other so far away from me and that we need to listen to each other deeply in order to transform the environment in which we live.

 

A journey in which I have learned …

… that fighting is an option, but it’s not the only one necessary for everything.

… that listening to nature and its flow is essential for survival.

… that there is health in disease and vice versa.

… that there are more looks than one clings to.

… that conflict and pain are inherent in life but also important as an engine of transformation.

That… that… that by walking I learn and not by running I can advance or win over nature.

In the last stretch, as I suppose it happens when you are about just to get to the summit, the weather and the difficulty may not accompany. This was a hard stretch, where at times I felt like leaving my life behind, and for this it was necessary to reconnect at every step with the sense of what I was doing, to take the strength to continue advancing. And yes, I reached the summit and the beautiful thing was when I opened my eyes and saw the landscape, I realized that I was not walking alone, but that I had a team behind me supporting my steps to achieve the dream.

I want to thank all the people who were part of this support team in the different stages of this long journey, helping me to believe in the possibility of reaching my dreams and feeding the seed of continuing to learn.

“December 2019, Eva Sanchez Diaz”