On our flight to Toronto we watched 500 Days in the Wild – an exceptional documentary about the Trans Canada Trail, a trail network that connects three oceans: the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Arctic Ocean spanning all across Canada. It follows the most inspiring journey of Dianne Whelan, who traveled on the trail over six years without using any motorized vehicles.
„When I left on this journey, I thought traveling the ‚old way‘ was traveling without a motor. What I learned is that the old way isn’t my method of travel – it’s what I connect with. They [the Indigenous communities] taught me, with every stroke in the water, to say: the water is sacred. And with every step on the earth: the earth is sacred. That is the old way.“
– Dianne Whelan
Her reflections on her way of travel and the deep connection with nature left me in tears in my airplane seat (which in no way is traveling the old way). It’s a story about our role in this universe, about respect and humility, about colonization, and about the idea of being one family of all living species.
Whelan‘s words keep coming back to my mind while we‘re out here by the lake or hiking through Algonquin park. I find myself standing by the water or beneath the trees, breathing the fresh air, feeling the sun on my skin, and trying to become aware of the sacredness of my surroundings. I would like to take this feeling of humility and connection home with me, no matter how beautiful or simple the surroundings may be.
My heart is filled with deep gratitude – for the time I spent here, for the overwhelming scenery that unfolds before my eyes every moment I am outside, and for the warmth, joy, and kindness that fills the cottage.
More on connecting with nature:
Wisdom of the Universe
In Picton, we found the replica of Chrisi Belcourt‘s painting „Wisdom of the Universe“.
Belcourt is an Indigenous artist whose work offers a profound insight into Indigenous culture. Her art reflects how Indigenous people regard the Earth as sacred, how their traditions are deeply rooted in the connection with nature and in a holistic view of all species, lands, and waters
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