“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new lands, but in seeing with new eyes.” Marcel Proust
We recently went on holiday to the Portuguese island of Maderia. It’s a beautiful volcanic island with the tallest peak rising over 6,000 feet and the land plunging precipitously into the Atlantic. The terrain and climate are perfect for growing the grapes that made Madeira famous. And the craggy cliffs make perfect homes for the beloved swallows, Andorinhas. The swallow is the country's national icon. You'll find it on flags, manhole covers, shop signs, even tattoos.
Our intention was to drink the wine, hike the hills and swim the sea. And we did. And all lived up to our expectations. We heeded Proust (who favored the French Madeleine but would surely have relished the Portuguese custard tart as well). The new land delighted but the seeing with new eyes is the more enduring story. And it's a story told through the swallows that seemed instinctively to know what Proust believed.
The swallows were soon to commence their seasonal migration to Africa. As they swooped around the rugged cliffs, it was as if they were surveying their Madeiran homes with new eyes. Appreciating the comfort and familiarity of their nests. Knowing these would be a place of rest when they returned the following spring to raise their young. It was easy to imagine the swallows understood that traveling and nesting are not incompatible, but perfect partners. Full of energy and content with calm, these birds knew that both were part of a rich life. And likewise, for us.
So we emulated the swallows. We were busy and still. The busy part came naturally. Like the swallows, we swoop and circle and delight in doing, even on vacation. Ben Franklin provided an oft repeated family wakeup call. "Awake sluggards, waste not life. There's time enough for sleeping in the grave!" As I said, doers. At first, the being still was a bit unnatural. But as new eyes opened, the still, delighted. Even the spirited swallows needed to rest. And so did we.
The ceramic swallow, resting on this nest is not just a travel trinket (perish the thought), but a little reminder to slow down and really see that often the best part of voyaging is coming home to a familiar nest with companionable nest mates. We're just like the swallows- travelers and homebodies. An excellent combination!
Proust was right. Seeing with new eyes really is the true voyage of discovery.