Most of the time, quotes (and people who actively quote) drive me bonkers.
That said, for this week’s theme (paradise), I have to quote-bomb you.
“And me, I still believe in paradise. But now at least I know it’s not some place you can look for, ’cause it’s not where you go. It’s how you feel for a moment in your life when you’re a part of something. And if you find that moment, it lasts forever.”
I want to say this is some kind of poetry I stumbled upon while heaped over a stack of literature, but it’s not. Those, friends, are the last lines of the very critically disgraced film The Beach. Aside from dreamboat-era Leonardo DiCaprio and a few stunning scenes set in Thailand, the rest of that movie is a mess of drugs, cults, and Tilda Swinton. But, I digress. The reason I had to quote you some Leo is because I’ve been otherwise unable to define what paradise is. And I’ve felt paradise.
Before I left for Semester at Sea, I worried if I would be able to handle living on a ship. Would I, could I be able to live in such an enclosed environment, if I couldn’t even handle living in a small city without feeling like the walls were constantly closing in on me? Well, it turns out I could. And I learned this too:
Paradise is a moving ship. A different coordinate every morning. A new port on the horizon.
And wonderful people with whom to share that experience.
I remain forever grateful.
#FriFotos is a Twitter event founded by @EpsteinTravels. Search the hashtag every Friday to see photography from around the world illustrating the theme of the week.
amanda elsewhere 