The end of the earth (or just the beginning)

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Ahead lies the Atlantic Ocean, a vast expanse of sapphire blue water that goes on for miles and miles, even beyond what can be seen. Behind is the lighthouse that sits at the point of Finisterre. Underneath my feet are the granite boulders that line the coast and the mountains surrounding the estuary. All around are pilgrims and tourists stopping to take in the seaside view. Being in Finisterre, it is easy to see why it was once thought to be the end of the earth.



I take a moment to sit down on one of the rocks, which is warm because the sun is brilliantly beating down on Galicia today. Looking out across the ocean, I start to imagine what it would have been like for medieval pilgrims and people even before then who traveled to Finisterre and truly believed that it was the edge of the earth. I’ll be honest, it is hard for me to imagine that because I know that 3,000 miles away lies the United States. However, I am amazed by the leap of faith it took for explorers to travel out to see in search of…well, I guess they didn’t know what they were in search of. They were exploring whatever was to be found.



I like this notion of not knowing what lies ahead but choosing to explore it anyways and just seeing what happens. As I sit looking out at the unusually calm water, I start to think about this as a metaphor for my academic journey. During this trip, I have had conversations with several people about my plans for the future. I also thought about my plans quite a bit while I was walking. Based on these conversations and my time spent thinking it over, I realize that I am not 100% sure what I want to do after college. And that is ok. Just like the explorers who ventured out of Europe to see what lay beyond, I will take a leap of faith and see what the future holds without planning my every step. This will be hard because I am a planner. The horizon in Finisterre gives me hope and inspiration, though, that there is more in my future than I can see. For those who thought it was the end of the earth, they had no idea that anything else was out there and thought that all that existed was what they could see. I know that there is more out there in my future than what I can see and plan for. The next part of my journey will be making myself be more open to that.



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