awe • noun • a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.

I’ve seen numerous mountainous landscapes during my travels, but (truly) nothing compares to the awe-inspiring majesty of the Canadian Rockies!

It’s not so much the scale (though that is pretty impressive, too) it’s more-so the immersive nature of the mountains in this region that starts to boggle the mind. Diving in from Calgary, the mountains look hardly impressive; taking the form of an enigmatically long stretch akin to a fortified barrier across the land, not unlike the Wall* in Game of Thrones. In actuality, it’s not until you drive up much closer towards Canmore that you can really begin to feel the sense of awe that will illicit an almost spiritual feeling. 

Different as compared to being surrounded by water in the middle of the ocean, the grandiose nature of the Rockies consuming you on all sides and above makes you feel so inconsequentially small, it’s almost like Nature herself can swallow you up at any moment (and if not Nature, then her beasts)!

It’s often been said that spiritually is prodded forth by the revelation of our own mortality, and I have yet to discover another place that makes me feel my own mortality as strongly compared to the Rockies. Add to that, the intrepid wildlife that come face to face with you as you drive along each path, you’ll be quick to find out that Mother Nature (in all her majesty) truly does not care about you. And with all that, I must say, it’s hard to find a much more humbling experience than visiting the Rockies—a definite MUST VISIT for spiritual seekers and nature-lovers alike!

-humble yourself often.