anno nuovo nei parchi / new year in the parks

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

Joshua Tree National Park

If the word "desert" (deserto) brings to your mind a desolate, waterless land covered with sand and devoid of vegetation, the deserts in Southern California will correct that notion. I chose to visit the deserts closest to us during this Holiday season, because I felt the need to be in a simple landscape for a while, to quiet down some internal turmoil and thoughts that seemed to always come in an avalanche, drowning my ability to analyze them and put them in some kind of order. We spent the days around New Year's Day (Capodanno) in some of the most amazing places on the face of the Earth. It was a great gift to ourselves.

We started with Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, went on to Joshua Tree National Park, then crossed the Mojave National Preserve to reach Death Valley National Park. I will write more about each place, as each deserves some carefully written thoughts. Here, I am sharing four images of intense emotion out of the hundreds I took. My passionate desire to capture some of the natural magic surrounding me mostly remained a wishful thinking (pio desiderio) as the majesty of the landscape eluded my limited skill as a photographer.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

On New Year's Day, we crossed the Mojave National Preserve and stopped at the visitor center in the restored Kelso Depot. While admiring the exhibit there, a feeling of gratefulness all but overwhelmed me: this 1.6 million acre park belongs to us, to the public. This land is our land.

I then thought about making a proposal for the New Year for briciole's readers. It is not meant to be a resolution, which feels like a burden we place on the new year before it is old enough to stand on its feet.

I was ready to write a post about my proposal, when I read a thoughtful post written by dear Patricia Volonakis Davis, titled A Better You Equals A Better World. I invite you to read the whole post, though I will be focusing on a portion of it.

As soon as I read the first point Patricia makes, I knew I had found the right name for my proposal. This is what she writes:

Instead of making resolutions, let this year be a year of "gratitutions." Gratitutions are statements of gratitude made along with any criticisms you have of yourself or changes you wish to make.

I like the word "gratitution," because it invites us to pause, think, give thanks and then act mindfully.

Mojave National Preserve

So, here is my proposal, rephrased in light of the new perspective as a gratitution. Let us be grateful for parks, for the land set aside at county, state and national level for conservation and for the public to enjoy. This land is beautiful, sometimes to the point of leaving us grasping for words.

Then, let us honor our parks by visiting them. If you've always wanted to visit a specific park (parco), near or far, let 2013 be the year you finally go. This does not require special trips: chances are, there is a county park where you live. Let that be the object of your attention. 

Death Valley National Park

Each park is a treasure (tesoro) and has treasures to give. We may think we are doing something for the parks by visiting them, but I can assure you, the parks do a lot more for us.

I am grateful for the visionary people who worked and work hard to ensure the legacy of our parks (in the case of Joshua Tree, it was a woman, Miverva Hamilton Hoyt). I am grateful for all the people who work to ensure that our visit to each park is informed, enjoyable and safe. I will continue to do all I can to support our county, state and national parks (including writing about them).

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

anno nuovo nei parchi

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anno nuovo nei parchi

Joshua Tree National Park

Se la parola "deserto" vi fa pensare ad una landa desolata, priva di acqua e vegetazione e coperta di sabbia, i deserti della California meridionale correggeranno tale idea. Ho scelto di visitare deserti durante le vacanze di Natale perché sentivo il bisogno di trovarmi per un po' in un paesaggio semplice. Sono dei luoghi incredibilmente affascinanti.

Abbiamo cominciato il viaggio con Anza-Borrego State Park, poi siamo andati al Joshua Tree National Park, abbiamo attraversato Mojave National Preserve e abbiamo concluso il giro a Death Valley National Park. Ho intenzione di scrivere qualcosa di più su ciascuno di questi luoghi. In questo post condivido quattro foto tra le molte che ho scattato. Il mio desiderio di catturare in qualche modo la magia dei paesaggi e rimasto più che altro un pio desiderio dati i miei limiti come fotografa.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Il giorno di Capodanno abbiamo attraversato Mojave National Preserve e ci siamo fermati al centro informazioni nella stazione restaurata di Kelso. Mentre ammiravo la mostra didattica sono stata sopraffatta da un profondo senso di gratitudine: questo parco di oltre 6200 km² appartiene a tutti noi.

Allora ho pensato di fare una proposta per il Nuovo Anno, un invito ai lettori di briciole. Ero pronta a scrivere la mia proposta, quando ho letto un post bellissimo scritto dalla cara Patricia Volonakis Davis, intitolato A Better You Equals A Better World. Vi invito a leggere il post per intero (in inglese): io mi riferirò ad una parte di esso.

Come ho letto il primo punto che Patricia elenca, ho capito di aver trovato il nome giusto per la mia proposta. Ecco che cosa scrive:

Instead of making resolutions, let this year be a year of "gratitutions." Gratitutions are statements of gratitude made along with any criticisms you have of yourself or changes you wish to make.

Invece di fare buoni propositi, facciamo buone gratitudini. Buone gratitudini sono affermazioni di gratitudine unite ad autocritica e a progetti di cambiamento che vogliamo realizzare. (traduzione mia)

Patricia ci invita a fermarci, pensare un attimo, essere grati e poi agire con attenzione.

Mojave National Preserve

La mia proposta, riscritta in termini di buona gratitudine, è questa. La gratitudine è per i parchi, per i territori messi da parte a livello regionale o nazionale per la conservazione e per l'uso del pubblico. Queste aree sono bellissime, a volte talmente tanto da lasciarci senza parole.

La parte attiva della buona gratitudine è quella di rendere omaggio ai nostri parchi visitandoli. Se avete da tempo in mente di visitare un certo parco, vicino o lontano, che il 2013 sia l'anno in cui lo fate. Non c'è bisogno di fare viaggi: è possibile che ci sia un parco vicino a dove abitate e potete sceglierlo come oggetto della vostra attenzione.

Death Valley National Park

Ogni parco è una ricchezza e ha ricchezze da elargire. Quando visitiamo un parco pensiamo di fare qualcosa per esso, ma in realtà è il parco a fare molto di più per noi.

Sono grata a coloro che si sono dati e si danno da fare per stabilire parchi e a tutti coloro che lavorano per fare in modo che la nostra visita sia istruttiva e gradevole.

♥ i parchi

Comments

[Sally]

I love this idea of gratitution. A simple yet powerful reminder to keep on the front burner all year long. I have enjoyed all your photos of the desert. It is a place I long to visit for many of the reasons you stated. I remember feeling incredible spaciousness, both internal and external, on visits to the Serengeti. You are so right, we should all visit these places that are our privilege to access. Thank you for this lovely reminder (and photos!) Happy new year, Simona!

[Amanda McTigue]

I ADORE -- ADORE Anza Borrego. Have spent many a Christmas there. Remember when the drive down there was through giant incredible ranches instead of so many subdivisions... Thanks for this reminder and for passing on the notion of gratitution.

[Simona Carini]

Thanks for the comment, Sally. I am glad my post brought back good memories. Hope to hear your voice again soon. Wishing you a New Year of spaciousness.

Hi Amanda and Happy New Year. A gorgeous almost full moon awaited us the evening we arrived in Borrego Springs. It was magical. I totally understand your adoration. I hope to visit it again.

[diary of a tomato]

I'm so utterly grateful to you, Simona, for sharing places I've always intended to visit but somehow never did while growing up in California. Our favorite travels now include a park or two, and there are some marvelous ones in Italy that we've had the good fortune to visit. Of course, it's difficult to find guides and trail maps in English, however, just another reason to better our language skills! Looking forward to seeing more of your travels...

[Paz]

Taking time to admire nature, always makes one grateful.

[Simona Carini]

Debra, I know how sometimes we end up not visiting places that are close and yet go to places that are far away. That was one of the reasons that made me choose California for our trip. I wish we had more parks in Italy. Things have gotten better in recent years, but more can be done. And certainly better documentation of the existing ones would be helpful.

I agree, Paz.