The First Camelia Blossoms
November 8–12, Wengen, Switzerland
Seasonal Memoir Entry #37
As I walked to school the other morning, I was moving in sync with a group of municipal (gemeinde) workers who were methodically pounding wooden stakes into the ground on either side of the country road. The stakes stood about 4 feet, and its tops were painted bright orange. What were they doing?
Snow prep, of course! Without the stakes, there would be no way to discern road from field during a snowstorm. It’s been quite a while since I’ve lived somewhere that it’s snowed regularly. How exciting!
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I continue to push myself to get out of the hermit’s studio apartment and see Switzerland. It felt like a good time to get up to Wengen, a village in the Bernese Alps known for a famous downhill race in January. The ski season would start up in December, so it was a good time for a solo retreat to the school’s dorm-like chalet, Bergheim.
It took some careful driving at night over some windy mountain roads; I could not see what was on the other side of the pavement, and I was happy for that! After an easy cog-rail ride from Lauterbrunnen, I arrived in Wengen, which seemed like a different world — sleepy, and guarded by steep slopes on one side, and a deep gorge on the other.
I used the weekend to do some thinking and checking in on this year’s adventure. “Adventure” being a euphemism for “an experience that’s really hard at times, but also full of positives’’. Waking up a bit wonky due to the altitude (only 4,500’), I set out in a light rain to walk the gravel road from the village up to Kleine Scheindegg, a ski station in the shadow of the Eiger and Jungfrau mountains. Seeing the famous north face of the Eiger was a bucket list item, and I saw a decent amount of it amongst the fogginess. More powerfully, I felt its presence, and imagined the history it carried, and the secrets it kept.
A leisurely and contemplative walk back down the road — highlighted by the occasional loud groans of the glaciers, which stopped me in my tracks in wonder — returned me to Wengen, where I scrounged together some dinner (hummus, bread, tomatoes, and some smoked salmon). I plugged into a live Zoom session that Jon-Kabat Zinn was hosting for worldwide MBSR teachers. I was feeling blessed to have this opportunity to learn from a living legend. The experience reminded me of the importance of working on self-improvement, and of having something other than work as an intellectual pursuit.
After a hearty sleep, I did some grading for the online positive psychology class I’m teaching through Global Online Academy, and made my way back down the mountain to the Mobility car, and eventually back to Cham. I chatted with Tina while driving (technology!). The light rain continued, which fed the sombre yet meditative vibe. It was really nice.
Being alone, and in silence, can be intimidating. It’s just you, and the myriad thoughts (voices?) in your head. I challenged myself to find the signal amongst the noise. It can be a powerful moment when you experience what feels like wisdom. I probably should have written these insights down, but instead, I think I’ll just keep them to myself.
