My heart remains in Provence

Author: Li Yanling
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: For a long time, I have wanted to write a story about Provence. Someone once said, "Never give up hope as long as you have a good story and someone to share it with." I don’t know who will be my listener, but I understand the story I will tell. It takes place in Provence and is about a woman’s growth, about learning how to live, how to face the past, and how to take care of herself. Compared to other tourist destinations in the world, the greatest feature of Provence may be its everyday life. Its scenery and life blend perfectly together—traveling is life, and life is traveling. No one can live here without being moved. And all the tourists from around the world who come here must give up the noisy and restless nature of city dwellers, slow down their usual hurried pace, and slowly savor every winding path, the leaves swaying in the sunlight, the quiet ruins that whisper history, the small birds that don’t startle on stone walls, and the lavender scent lingering in the air. The hustle and bustle of the city mask the true meaning of existence, and the city is a place that makes people lose themselves. But Provence allows you to reexamine yourself and understand your true feelings. The woman in the story is just like that. Her initial motivation for coming to Provence was simple—she wanted to heal her wounds, forget the past, and find a sense of security. Being in a foreign land, far from familiar surroundings and relationships, indeed grants a brand-new freedom: the freedom to open your heart and laugh without restraint, or to close it and treat everyone with indifference. How you exercise this freedom depends entirely on how you treat yourself. The sunshine of Provence truly comforted her, and navigating the crowds of strangers gave her a sense of security she had never known before. She thought she had finally found a safe world where she could retreat indefinitely to a small corner, untouched by the winds and rains of the outside world. However, her idealistic notions were quickly shattered by the roar of reality. No one can completely erase the marks left by the past; no matter how far you run, you cannot completely break free from any connection to it. She soon had to face again the people who had once appeared in her life. Each one brought an inevitable dramatic shock. She once felt as if she had been thrown back into a desert, lost and directionless. Safety can never be relied upon from the outside; without inner peace, no matter where you flee, you cannot escape hesitation. Running away is not the best way to heal; even the most healing sanctuaries in the world cannot work miracles on their own, making pain vanish in an instant. No matter where you are, you cannot avoid a dialogue with your inner self. To truly grow, you must first dare to question yourself, dare to face your past experiences without avoiding, concealing, or embellishing them. The woman in the story took a long time to overcome her inner struggles. When she no longer felt confused or fearful, she faced new choices. In fact, what you choose doesn’t matter; choice is only a part of life. If you truly understand what you need and know how you want to live, then the choices you make will never stray from your heart.