It felt like I was running in a snow globe, the way the water curved all around me and the coastline filled up every degree of my periphery.
The only things I knew about San Sebastian were from other people’s pictures – pictures of beautiful crystal blue water skimming golden sand and crashing against jutting, rocky cliffs. I had seen pictures of people soaking in afternoon rays of sun amidst surfers, kayakers, and joggers. This was the landscape I thought lay ahead of me as I slumped groggily on my 7 AM train out of Barcelona. True, the forecast hadn’t looked so good, but the blue skies out the window gave me some hope. Unfortunately, blue skies turned grey about forty-five minutes outside of the city and by the time I was checked into my hostel, massive rain clouds loomed ominously.
The flood gates were held back just long enough to let me hike up to the top of Monte Urgell to get a view of the city from the castle towers. From the top you can see Playa de la Concha, or Seashell Beach, curving along the ocean in a massive crescent shape. Yes, it was breathtaking – but with the grey that fell all around me, I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing out.
Back at the hostel, with rain falling at full force, I idly responded to emails and video chatted with family. I had wanted to go for a run on the beach but the weather was discouraging. Pushed out the door, however, by a mixture of boredom and restlessness, I was glad I took the plunge.
The downpour had actually let up as I hurriedly ran up two streets and then made a left at the church. I was staying in la ciudad vieja, or the old town, where the streets were all cobblestones. I had only walked through the area a few times but it was already familiar. My left turn brought me to the water and I immediately headed down the ramp onto the beach. The tide was out, leaving what felt like a mile between the sidewalk and the ocean. As I ran straight towards the water, a stream of emotion washed over me, so many so I couldn’t quite decipher them all. I was awestruck for several moments even after I had reached the water and was once more running parallel to the waves.
It felt like I was running in a snow globe, the way the water curved all around me and the coastline filled up every degree of my periphery. Yet, it was not claustrophobic – in fact, quite the opposite. I felt a sense of freedom, letting the idea that I would be floating around the globe for the next month sink in. The beauty of the beach and of those moments running towards the water where all I could hear was my breath, the crunching of the sand, and the twirling waters faintly in the background lifted me out of my temporary gloom. When it had started to rain on the way back to the hostel, I realized that expectations shouldn’t make or break an experience. There was still beauty lying right in front of me and I’m glad I could experience it in the positive way that I did.
