Finally, I can end the story.
So I haven’t been posting for the past 3 days, its been raining hard in here so I’ve been sleeping a lot. 
I love it when it rains, especially I get to just curl up in my bed wrapped in my warm blanket listening to the wind and rain. My cramps and bruised hips doesn’t hurt that much anymore, but I still don’t feel so well so I’m taking all the rest I can get.
So back to the “moment” I can never forget in Earthaven.
***
One of the things I can never forget about that trip was the activity we had the night before our departure back to the city. The facilitator called us all into the bonfire, it was really dark since it rained but he said we can still do the activity. Each one of us was given a bamboo to be lighted so we won’t get lost in the dark, and we made our way up into the mountain. With lighted bamboos on hand, we climbed the wet and slippery mountain again to its other side, holding hands and helping each other get to the top. He stops us when we reach the clearing and instructs us to leave our bamboos, line up in one row and all hold each other, arms clasped and locked together, and run as fast as we can to the top. When we got to the top, the end of that mile, all the weariness we felt as we were climbing up just faded away.
What welcomed us was a sight we rarely see. Right in front of us was the full view of the city, the place where we came before we arrived at Earthaven. We were standing at the edge of the mountain, and we were staring at the city like we were viewing something in a picture. Standing up there, you’ll feel overwhelmed by how big the city is, and how small we really are, but looking at it felt like I was larger than what I thought I was. Imagine, I can see the whole city, its slums, its houses, its highways, all the lights, and I can hear the drifting noises of the honks and beeps of cars, low and faint but I can hear it.
As we stared at everything you can’t help but sigh and feel sad, and feel peaceful at the same time. While I was staring there, I was thinking what might be that family in that little lighted house be doing at this time? Where they laughing and happy, complete as a family? Or in that small dark house, could there be someone crying longing for their parents, or even a loved one? I think, what could everyone be doing? I can see the flicker of lights, hear the faint but distinct honks and beeps of the cars, and I can’t help but wonder, amidst of all those noises do we still stop and stare at the sky?
While we were all standing there at the edge, we were crying as the facilitator shared with us about the story of other people who went there. They were Japanese students he said, and they were all so awed by how the sky was so pretty and the stars were so lovely. He said the students told him, it was the first time they saw stars. He asked them if they were serious and they answered him, “Yes. In our city, there are so many lights. You can’t see the starts when you look up anymore.” By then we were all crying harder, because sitting there we felt at peace and we just got there that day. What even made us cry more was our facilitators words, “Look at that place. That’s where you came from. You can see the pollution and you see the smog even if we’re far away. All that noise and lights. It never sleeps. And tomorrow, you will all be back there.”
I will never forget that place. Before we left that edge, a firefly lands on one of my friends hands. It was the first time we saw one. Our facilitator tells us, that fireflies are only able to live in a clean and balanced environment. If fireflies live and exist in your neighborhood, it was one way of determining your place is clean and pollution free. Somehow, I’ve never seen one again since that night in Earthaven.
I wonder when I’ll get the chance to find one again.
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The beauty of nature and outdoor activities which I have yet to learn to love!
I am not one for outdoor activities (don’t ask me why), haha…but nature, mmm, still learning to appreciate it more.
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