Living in Nature's Biggest City

July 21, 2014
Elana H

The pace of nature here at Tiputini is reversed.  At home in our fast paced society, we are the ones moving quickly.  The grass on the diag and the trees by the union change slowly to our eye as we rush by them to get to a class or a meeting.  Here we are the slow movers and it feels as though I'm living in nature's biggest city.  The leaves change as if their color has gone out of style.  The river flows constantly like the hoards of people on the streets of New York City.  The animals and insects move as if they're window shopping in a vast and diverse mall.

Today, we got a chance to slow ourselves down even further and sit alone for 30 minutes in our own spot in the rainforest.  Jeff later commented, "there was nowhere else to be in that moment but there."  We are not used to being the slow movers.  Sitting idly by in nature's city gives way to an initial feeling of discomfort as we try to rack our brains for things we should be doing with that time.  However, once we realize what Jeff was describing, a sole obligation to be present then and there, that's when the magic of this trip is felt.  Today I felt it as I watched a spider spin it's web, cheering it on instead of tearing it down.  I felt it as the ants came searching around my seat, following where they decided to move instead of flicking them out of my space.  And I felt the magic when I observed a branch of leaf come tumbling down from the canopy, sitting in awe of gravity instead of flinching in fear.

At times we think we are bored here as our slow moving lives would lead us to believe in our settings at home.  As we enter into our second week, it's easy to believe that we have surpassed the excitement and fallen into a familiar routine in a now familiar setting.  But this is what I love about the group of people I was so randomly thrown together with for 4 weeks of my life:  we can make anything interesting.

Tonight, combining our pieces of Spanish skills, we probed Tomas, a kitchen worker, about his life growing up with a Waorani tribe, first-hand information we can't get anywhere else but here.

People suggest activities, like going to see the 512 tortugas (thanks, Mackenzie) or lifting the 140 pound weight (thanks, Harry) or hosting a talent show (thanks Precious).  We may be slow moving, but we refused to be bored.  This is a time to think to our deepest, observe to the widest, and laugh to our fullest.  It's healing, it's fulfilling, and there is no better group to be experiencing this adventure with.