Sunsets stories in Gran Canaria and campervan-ing around the island

Back in Milan city and yesterday was the first night ending without watching the sunset, like I have been for the past 15 days in Gran Canaria. I feel a strange void from the sudden absence of this magical yet simple ritual, that is not only beautiful to our senses but also so grounding and soothing!

The advantage of having a campervan while discovering the island, was being able to park strategically to experience the best sunsets with a glass of wine or to wake up by the waves splashing as the sun rises dramatically from under the sea. The best medicine ever! Your eyes lock to the horizon, you completely drop into a quiet space where nothing or no one else matters but the wild beauty of that quick moment - and afterwards...all is good! Life is always good after the sunset and sunrise, at least for a few moments. It sets the tone to how we start or end the day, maybe feeling a little bit more warmth, peace and love than moments before. If one of your goals or intentions for the New Year is to be happier or healthier, consider making an effort to add sunset or sunrise watching to your daily routine, if your location allows you, of course. Those 5-10 quiet minutes all to yourself can serve as a meditation practice, to calm down and re-wire the nervous system so you can feel, move, act and speak to the world from a calm and kind space within.

From 15 glorious days of sunsets and sunrises (didn't miss a single one!), one in particular makes my heart melt, from the timelapse below. I was sitting on the completely empty La Aldea beach in Gran Canaria, lost between the pages of "Born to Run" book and the sun setting, when the corners of my eyes caught the image of an older man who had just arrived at the beach. He was walking towards the sea, in opposite direction from me, carrying a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a small package in the other. I could immediately sense that I was interrupting something, but I couldn't take my eyes off. There was something melancholic yet confident and strong in the way he approached the sea. There he stood by the shore for a couple of minutes, eyes steady and far away watching the sun set. Maybe he was whispering a prayer, saying a goodbye, asking for forgiveness, or maybe he was trying to connect with a loved one? Then, he lowered the bouquet and the package right where the waves meet the earth and walked away without looking back. His car vanished. The image of the bouquet splashing against the waves froze the whole world for me. It had happened so quickly, I didn't know if I had imagined it or if it was real. But those delicate white little flowers carrying so much love and tenderness didn't disappear after I blinked my eyes several times and even after the waves kept pounding on them. There it was, I saw the proof: the sunset always bringing connection, love, light, closure, peace to our souls.

Go out there! Spend more time in nature in 2018 and make it part of your life! And if you have a chance to explore the Canary islands by camper van instead of staying in hotels or Airbnbs, go for it - you will not regret it. It will put you completely outside of your comfort zone and make you discover aspects about yourself that you didn't know before. That we are creatures of habit but also we have an incredible capacity to change and adapt, as long as we are open to it. That we still have somewhere deep down in our DNA memory, passed down from our ancestors, traces of an affinity to living like a nomad in close connection to nature. Besides all these intangibles, traveling in a camper van in Gran Canaria is the best way to discover the hidden treasures and you will effortlessly find yourself out of your head and into the wild.

All photos & video by @fjorenca