Reflections on Something Learned About Me on a Walk from Delices to Petite Savane

Dominica, known as the Nature Isle, stands true to its nickname. The natural beauty of the youngest island in the West Indies is breathtaking. First and foremost, there are 365 rivers and streams- enough for every day of the year. The landscape is mountainous with its high peaks and low valleys. Then there is the bio-diversity, the flora and fauna of its rainforest makes for spectacular sights, sounds, and interesting bed mates (on more than one occasion I woke up to find at least one lizard sleeping in bed with me). Luckily for me, there are no poisonous or deadly animals on the island.

However, on the first full day after arriving in Dominica, none of that matter, in fact, everything in my life, both home and abroad, meant little as I prepared for my first hike on the island. I was trying to spot a power line on the top of Paix Bouche, a mountain that separates the villages of Petite Savane and Delices (I had to crane my neck and squint to find it). Paix Bouche, which in English means Keep Quiet, is a fitting name. The hike follows the road to the top of the mountain, which is roughly 2 miles. The vertical distance is 600 meters (about 1968 feet). The average gradient is 35 degrees. By no stretch of the imagination it is a difficult hike. For the next 26 minutes, I struggled physically and mentally, as I dug to the deepest portions of my soul for the willpower to complete it. I knew and understood that if anything would fail me it would be my mind, therefore, there was no gimmick, no mantra, no New Age philosophy that would get me up that hill, instead I focused on the task at hand and relied on the perfection of thousands of years of evolution- my muscles, my lungs, my heart, my body. 26 minutes and a liter of sweat later I completed the hike.

 It was an amazing success. As I waited for the rest of the group to finish I had to time to reflect. I reflected on the perfection of the human body, mind over matter, and the fact that people do this hike on a daily basis, not because of a desire to remain fit, but out of a necessity (e.g. to and from work). After the rest of the group completed the hike, I found that two members of the team did not finish. I was devastated. What turned out to be a personal success resulted into a team failure. It was at this moment that I realized that I, in some ways, failed them. I then reflected on myself as a team member. I reflected on the evolution of healthcare, as it continues becomes more inter-disciplinary and team based. I reflected on my personal shortcomings. I then set out for a new goal, to ensure that I am a focused on the goals of not only myself, but also the team.

It was a beautiful transformation that occurred to me on that hike. Many individuals told me that I would come back a different person. I believed them. What I couldn’t comprehend until I actually spent time in Dominica, is that the island naturally makes you reflect and change. No matter if it is a walk back to your room, a hike up Paix Bouche or Boiling Lake, a drive to Roseau, fording one of the 365 rivers or streams, speaking to school children or the sick, or listening to the symphony of nocturnal noise, you can’t help but to listen to your inner voice. That is what makes the Nature Isle special. That is also the reason why I must go back to Dominica, especially when I think there is nothing left I could learn about myself. I know from experience, there is always something to learn about yourself as you are kept quiet by the truly awe inspiring nation of Dominica.