by Meixia

Chasing Sunsets and Dreams

Some weekends, when the weather is just right and the sky is clear, I like to go chasing after sunsets. Fortunately, I have a friend here who enjoys sunsets as much as I do.

In other places, like in the Philippines, catching a glorious sunset might seem easy. When I used to work in Manila, I would often see the sun set every day from the glass windows of our office building. Each one more beautiful than the one before. Here in China, however, perfect sunsets are rare. Days are often overcast and cloudy. Sometimes, the smog is too thick, it barely lets through any light.  Plus, buildings would often cover the view. So, on the rare days when the conditions are just right to catch that perfect sunset, my friend and I would go to the perfect spot he found for sunset viewing.

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(Above: Sunset by the Pearl River, Guangzhou)

In silence, we’d watch the sun make its slow descent into the horizon. No matter how many sunsets I’ve seen, the beauty of that blazing ball of light surrounded by fluffy white clouds wrapped in a myriad of colors – soft lavender, intense indigo, sweet pink, fiery orange, hints of scarlet – still gets to me every time. Always, I am left in awe.

Plus, those priceless quiet moments of suspension, when even the world holds its breath before it plunges into darkness, are the best times to think. In fact, those are the moments when I’ve been most honest with myself. As I chase sunsets, I end up chasing dreams as well: What do I really want to do with my life? Who do I want to be?

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(Above: A small park near my apartment)

Until now, the answers are still unclear to me. I do not have definite goals or defined plans. I feel like I’m just coasting along and this makes me nervous. Truly, it bothers me.

But, don’t get me wrong. I have many dreams. I do have visions of myself in the future. However, the challenge is matching these dreams with where I actually am in reality.

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(Above: Sacred Heart Cathedral, Guangzhou)

While I struggle with my thoughts, I also know that I cannot force these things. Some things are revealed in due time. I know that  eventually, I will know the answers but until then, I will go on chasing sunsets in the hopes that these give me the answers I seek.

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The photos above were taken using my phone in the span of the many weekends I spent chasing after sunsets. Hope you enjoyed the view!

30 thoughts on “Chasing Sunsets and Dreams”

  1. “It is necessary … for a man to go away by himself … to sit on a rock … and ask, ‘Who am I, where have I been, and where am I going?”
    ― Carl Sandburg

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  3. Rare as it is, you were able to chase sunsets in Guangzhou. I actually admire you for your bold move to Guangzhou and I’m sure even if things may be uncertain, you’ll end up some place nice and you’ll end up happy. I wish you find that in the near future Mich.

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    1. Awww thanks, Caity! 😀 Yeah, my camera got busted and haven’t been able to get a new one yet 🙂

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  9. lovely photos dear! i can definitely relate to “What do I really want to do with my life? Who do I want to be?” sometimes I am stuck on my thoughts and i dont know who to start chasing my dream.. hehe anyways, you’re right we just need to wait for the right time 🙂

    – from gig
    http://www.swirlsandscribbles.com

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