Part 1: the Bottom
I had just finished doing admin when my alarm went off at 8pm to walk up Mt Eden. I’d been meaning to head up this weekend to mindfully say goodbye to Aotearoa; tomorrow I’d leave for exchange for one semester to Tsinghua University. I snoozed the alarm. “I have some more packing to do!” I thought, “ceebs going up”.
Ten minutes later, I noticed a couple puffs of pink lingering in the sky outside my window. I suddenly recalled the wonderful feelings of being in fresh air in nature. Spurring into action, I chucked on shoes and leapt out the door. The official sunset time was 8.15pm; it was now 8.11pm.
I walked along the road and reached a field where the sunset emerged slightly, revealing a rich sky, blindingly gold and bright. I had to get to the top ASAP. Would the view be gone by the time I made it up? I was mad – why had I not left home earlier?! Nevertheless, I began running while playing some dramatic music.
From the base of the mountain, again this amber sky peeked through the trees.
Sprinting up the mountain, huffing and puffing, my brain whispered, “You don’t have to be at the top to enjoy the view”. Didn’t I? It would be the prettiest at the top. “You don’t have to be at the top to enjoy the view”. I pondered. There had already been pockets of opportunities to glimpse at the sky’s beauty – and there would be more to come, if you took the time to notice them.
At the carpark mid-way point, I observed couples and friends picnicking or sitting out of their car boots, watching the orangey sky.
Near the top, there were slanted streaks of pink and purple like ribbons stretched across the blue. The atmosphere suddenly felt isolated and dark, despite the many tourists and kiwis I’d just seen.
Along the left overlooking the CBD, the moon was blurred behind the clouds, mixed with a wispy, soft, pink glow.
Every angle was a new painting by a new artist.
Part 2: the Top
I’d made it to the peak by 8.20pm, fast enough to watch the latter half of the sunset. I found a stray spot in the grass to plop down on. You could see the muted streaks blending into an striking, spray-painted sky that looked alit.
My brain brought back the statement with a new addition, “You don’t have to be at the top to enjoy the view… But it sure is beautiful”. Why was my brain still reciting Pinterest quotes? I thought we’d moved on from this.
Yes, this was certainly the most stunning sunset of the summer. I breathed deeply, in awe. I began to reflect on life: in my goals, I can find myself chasing an endpoint from a place of lack rather than abundance. I become so focused on everything I’m not and must be, rather than everything I am. This mentality is so false.
Everyone wants to reach the top of the mountain, the best part. This does not mean the bottom of the mountain is not also a wonderful place. We attract more of what we’re focused on, hence we must appreciate what we have now in order to have more. Gratitude doesn’t mean complacency; it shouldn’t supress our ambitions or desires (e.g. you can be grateful for your current job while simultaneously wanting to move to a better one). Instead, gratitude allows us to attract more into our lives. In time, we will reach our goal and be able to enjoy the result in all its glory. That being said, we all know life is not a linear path with a singular peak like Mt Eden.
Part 3: Back Down
After the sunset, I wandered down the mountain through the pitch black. You could hear the rustling of leaves, but mostly silence. Walking the path I’d been a million times before while knowing it would be the last for a while, I felt nostalgia. It was like I was detached from my body, strolling through a film. I paused and took in some deep breaths. How clean, peaceful, and small New Zealand is. China would be polluted, giant and chaotic. It would be flat.
Conclusion
For me, watching sunsets stirs up this intrinsic connection to nature. You can separate from your wordly identity to just enjoy being a bunch of stardust on Earth at this moment in time. The air is usually cool, not too hot or cold. Of course, the view is gorgeous. As a bonus, this beauty is real. The sky doesn’t have ulterior motives.
From a self-absorbed, the-universe-revolves-around-me stance, the sunset felt like a gift from the universe. It felt like a positive omen for the future. It also highlighted a lesson I will carry with me moving forward. This learning may apply to me, but not to you. Perhaps your intuition has some knowledge to share. I hope that wherever or whenever it is, you can also experience your most beautiful sunset.
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