This tale was originally written as part of a daily email series to prove to loved ones at home I was still alive in far off parts of the world. It has been copy/pasted below in it’s entirety.
Tonight I begin with a story. Yes, it’s the kind of story you usually hear from me, but I hope you will both indulge me and enjoy it.
In The Lord of the Rings (I swear this is a Kaitlin version of “once upon a time”), there’s a moment where the fellowship is trying to climb over a mountain (the one where it is snowing) to get to Mordor. They ultimately end up going through Moria instead (underground caves with goblins, a cave troll, and an angry Balrog).
In the movie (which more of you are familiar with), when the fellowship are still trying to struggle through the snow, you see and hear Saruman chanting into the air. Gandalf chants back a bit, and shortly after that, there’s a bit of an avalanche and they all turn around and go under the mountain instead of over it.
Now, in the book, it’s not an ordinary storm. Obviously they didn’t have enough time for this in the movie (even in the four hour extended edition), but it’s kind of a cool moment. There is no obvious voice on the wind. Instead, some of the fellowship suspect foul play because of how particularly bad the storm is and they send Legolas scouting ahead (Cause he can walk on top of snow. Don’t believe me? Go watch the movie, they kept in that detail!) and he comes back to report that the snowstorm completely stops only a few minutes ahead. So almost everybody agrees that something is working against them. It’s unlikely to be a natural storm that is following their specific travel, so it might be Saruman creating it (he is a wizard after all). Or, and this is the important bit, it could be the actual (possibly sentient) mountain they are walking on, long known as Caradhras, who could either be specifically working for the forces of evil, or just not a fan of anything that walks on two legs. He’s been a part of tales and stories and “was [long years ago, before Sauron and the ring existed] called the Cruel, and had an ill name.”
Yes, mountains have feelings and the ability to act on them. Welcome to Middle Earth.
All this is to say: The forecast has been saying heavy rain and storms for every place I am about to go. Then when I get there, it’s beautiful and lovely and any rain that does occur, I can walk through. And the place I just was? Rain, storms, the works.
Either some remnant of Tolkien-ness is keeping the bad weather at bay while I follow the footsteps that first envisioned the world I so love, or the mountains themselves are conspiring to keep the paths clear for me. Or I am some personal combination of fortunate/stubborn/insane that keeps me walking through.
In whichever case, ich bin sehr glucklich!
Kaitlin’s Adventure in Switzerland was from June 28-July 12, 2018