What is Enoughness?

As I explore the little town and the ski trails for the first time I am reminded of the word enough, or “enoughness”. This has been a common word that one of my favorite National Geographic journalists, Cristina Mittermeier blogs about. She travels all over the world in order to photograph and learn about the living practices of different cultural groups. From the most peculiar Amazonian tribes to the hardest working Inuit villages she has noticed one common theme, enoughness! She argues that if everyone were to find contentment in a simple lifestyle, that is, minimal electricity, spending time outside, biking to work, growing a garden or buying locally, then the issues of climate change could be minimized.

            As I explored the winding trails of Strbsky Pleso on my skies, I was struck with both fear and immense exhilaration and beauty! This feeling was enough. I approached a massive hill and was struck by how intimidating, large, and winding it was. With each glide of my ski I anticipate the top. My anticipation was met with the same feeling of enoughness as I crested the top to be overlooking a deep valley, containing a town hidden by a foggy blanket.  All of this was enough. Later in the week, the fog would pass to reveal magnificently jagged snowcapped mountains. I began the long decent. As I began to speed faster and faster down the trail a few little tears slipped from my eyes. Other than the wind factor, they could have welled from a concoction of feelings. There was joy of being in this incredible foreign place, fear of the next downhill corner that I was quickly approaching, and a feeling of safeness knowing that I was with the team that I loved so much. Could there have been any one name for the emotion that brought those tear? I think maybe just enoughness.  

            After further reflection I began to wonder about that emotion. Did I really have to travel thousands of miles to get to Slovakia to experience it?  There is no doubt about it Slovakia has been amazing! Maybe being in a different culture and learning that other people lead enriched and meaningful lives outside of my Wyoming grind was worth the journey. Or maybe its sitting in my virology class and discovering the fascinating ways in which the HIV virus is able to hijack the host cells machinery. Could this emotion just stem from putting my mind and my body in a place of wonderment? Whether I am across the ocean or just sitting in class, I think that enoughness can be channeled if I am willing to go out on a limb and challenge myself to appreciate the small and the large moments that I am presented with. In order to experience enoughness while studying abroad, I believe that that is exactly what I must do. While the luxurious sauna spas and fancy table clothed dinners are fun, the extravagance of staying at a fancy destination is not what creates my travel experience.  Rather, its enjoying the feelings of extreme exhaustion, vulnerability, frustration, and joy! For me, these emotions are what paint my images of Slovakia, and what add to the richness of my travel experience.