Embracing nature

Text by Bella White

Photos by Bella White and Griselda Garcia

Watching the scenery of southern France dance past the car window, I did not know where we were headed, but I was timidly excited all the same.

Along with another American student, I was staying with a French family during a one-month study abroad program in Arles. The mother of the family hosting us had invited us to go swimming on our first Saturday afternoon. Considering the Mediterranean heat, we gratefully obliged.

I am not typically an outdoorsy person. The hot, humid weather and my fear of bugs tend to keep me indoors.

Additionally, I’d never swum in a river before. Stigmas tend to circulate about many of the rivers near my house in Western Pennsylvania. As kids, we are often cautioned against swimming in Pittsburgh’s rivers due to a history of contamination.

So, when around 3 p.m., my host family, my housemate and I piled into two different cars and drove the winding French country roads, I was apprehensive, to say the least.

We parked on the side of the road and began our 30-minute trek to the spot my host mother had in mind. My host brother offered several shortcuts — narrow, steep dirt paths enclosed by jagged shrubs — but we refused. Ill-equipped in flip-flops, my housemate and I walked down a long, ancient path covered in stones and fought our way down the side of the mountain to the river below.

Despite my aching feet, I was astounded by the beauty that surrounded me. The gorgeous rock formations were dotted with green trees and shrubbery, and the river that was etched between the mountains was as blue as the sky.

From the first moment that the tall trees gave way to the stone path, I was in awe.

Once we arrived at the river, my host mom and brother ran in, but my housemate and I were more timid. We took our time. Trying to avoid the algae growing on the riverbank, we eased our way into the cool water.

The riverbed was made of small stones similar to the path we had taken to get there. Wading into the water was the first time I had felt cool since I had arrived in Arles. I was so grateful for the reprieve.

I began to notice the smaller details of the river. The crystal-clear water let me watch the fish glide around my legs. Small patches of algae that grew on the river floor touched my feet and floated down the current. I came to appreciate the natural world for all it had to offer.

I was not scared of nature. Rather, I embraced it.

My housemate and I looked back at the shore. Our host family was sitting on a hill, waiting for us to join them, so that we could eat the food we had brought with us. My host mom was ready with a knife and a cantaloupe.

We stayed for a couple more minutes before beginning our trek back to the shoreline. As I waded through the water, I tripped, stumbling on uneven rocks. As I fell forward onto my hands and knees, I laughed.