Reaching Up.

I took this shot on my last day in Italy. Before I arrived at this spot, I was sad to be saying goodbye to this beautiful country, and preparing myself for the inevitable post-holiday blues. Inspired the previous day by a trip into the Apennine Mountains, I decided to head to the highest peak in Tuscany, Mount Amiata. Views were harder to come by than expected, and the trip was turning out to be a disappointment compared to the day before. This only added to my woes and the reality of getting on a flight the next morning became ever nearer. The brain is such a powerful organ, and when set on the wrong tracks can quickly become self-destructive.

Then, after a couple of hairpin bends, climbing ever higher, I entered into this beautiful stretch of pristine alpine forest. I switched the car radio off and opened the windows. Immediately, a warm feeling inside began to lift my thoughts out of the mire as the clean air entered my lungs. I stopped at the first opportunity and got out. The natural beauty had a cleansing effect, and recharged the soul. Finally I had found a shot I liked, and stepped into the road to get the frame. With no cars around, I pressed the shutter. The feeling of peace settled my thoughts, and positivity began to reclaim the mind from pessimism. The experience reminded me, that whenever thoughts seem to go down an unpleasant path, the best thing to do is to get out, and reconnect with nature. Advice we could probably all do with from time to time. So instead it was not ‘goodbye Italy’, but ‘arrivederci Italia’ ;-)

http://tommyscapes.com/reaching-up/

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