Rooted

I have arrived in Avignon! Although I was sad to leave my new friends in Barcelona, I quickly became distracted by the beauty of southern France. The train ride alone captured my heart in awe. We rode along the boarder of France, with vineyards on our left and the sea on our right. The sun was low in the sky so it made the water glisten, adding to the romantic journey. I arrived at sunset but could already tell this stop was going to wow me. The next day I woke up early and got my, (now routine), breakfast of a pastry and coffee. My plan for the day had been to rent a car and travel around to wineries to see the southern countryside of France. When I went to pick the car up, I stood at the door of the vehicle with my mouth open due to the fact that it was a stick shift. Turns out, everyone in France drives manual cars. Well after trying 3 different car rental shops, I finally admitted that not a single automatic car was to be found in France and I waved hello to my 762nd obstacle. Defeated, I trudged back to the city square. All of my plans were completely impossible without a car (public transport simply did not go into the depths of the vineyards). For some reason, I have dreamt about the country side of France since learning about it in high school French class. It always sounded so beautiful, full of lush green hills covered in miles of vineyards. Loosing this experience felt tragic. As I was walking, I noticed a sign in English (this sticks out to a traveler when they’ve been staring at French words for 2 weeks straight). It read, “tourism office.” I walked inside and explained my situation to the desk worker. She told me about a tour that day that happened to have one seat left. This tour went to 3 different vineyards and drove through some of the countryside. I told myself I shouldn’t be spending more money than necessary... but my heart ached for the views I so desperately wanted to see. Sometimes you have to remind yourself that life is short and money shouldn’t determine everything. I bought the ticket. The rest of the day was beyond magical. I had a few hours before the tour so I ventured around the city. Avignon is a midevil village that was once were the pope lived. The castle and palace is the largest in France and arguably the most breath taking. I felt like a true princess as I walked the perimeter of the walls, looking down upon the village covered with rust colored metal roofs and plastered against a blue sky. The towers of the castle plunged into the sky at every corner and bridges crossed the rivers that bordered the little town on three sides. A natural fortress. Once I left for the tour, my heart continued to melt for the views. The countryside was all my mind had ever hoped for. We passed miles upon miles of vineyards as our guide told us the history of each and every living thing we encountered; the different kinds of grapes, the owners of the vineyards, the types of soil used, the direction of the sun to the slope of the hill, etc. Everything was perfectly arranged to produce the absolute best grapes. To be honest, I only heard about half of what the tour guide explained. My mind kept wandering off, deep into the vineyards. I was so enthralled in the beauty of the land. Once we stepped out of the vehicle, we were allowed to roam the vineyards and taste the wine. Maybe my love for the area tainted my tastebuds, but every drop of wine I tasted was arguably the best I ever had. Each vineyard owner was so proud of their creation and spoke about each bottle like it was their child. In a way, knowing the love and dedication these people displayed for their wine made it taste even more spectacular. Eventually we reached our last stop which was at the top of a large hill, overlooking the vast land of vineyards. Our guide told us that it barely ever rained in this region which turned out to be a good thing for the grapes. He explained that the less water given to the grapes leads to a more concentrated flavor. He compared it to diluting coffee grounds with water saying the less water you add, the better flavor of the coffee (of course Americans love their Dunkin’ Donuts which is closer to bean water than coffee, but Europeans drink expresso). I was enthralled with this idea that they starved the vines to produce stronger grapes. I mean come on? What a beautiful metaphor. All of us go through hardships in life. It’s cliché but the truth is “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” The owners of these vineyards took precious care of their grapes. They trimmed each bundle by hand and kept track of them individually. Although they deprived them of water, they gave them the tools to thrive anyway. And in the end, they produced an even better taste. Isn’t this life? So many things are thrown at us that should absolutely destroy us, but we are given so much to survive anyway. Family, friends, religion, faith, careers, school, etc. We are blessed with so much love in so many different ways that we thrive through all of life’s challenges. It’s a simple metaphor, but a glorious one. As we returned to the city center, I asked our tour guide if there was ever a bad year for the vineyards. Did they ever get too much rain or simply not grow? He said that yes, some years were not as productive as others, but the roots were strong. With the proper care, they always produced in the end. I know my roots are strong thanks to the amazing family and friends I’ve been so blessed to be surrounded by. I mean look at me! I’m traveling Europe ALONE. Some would think I’m crazy... but I know my roots are strong no matter where I am or the conditions I face. I have the resources to thrive. Never forget your roots in times of trouble.