by Alba Bailey Valera
The Trail Before Us is an amazing short film. I chose this short film to write about because I can relate to it from my own perspective. In the short film, the boys talk about how the trails of their land are a part of them and how when they bike through those majestic trails they feel something special. They are reclaiming and embracing their land that was threatened to be taken away from their ancestors years ago.
Asturias is a place in Northern Spain. It is where my ancestors are from. I feel connected to its landscapes, especially the beaches, so I can relate to the feelings expressed in the film. Asturias has existed for more than 100,000 years. There’s still cave paintings from a long time ago. A very special thing about Asturias is it has protected its traditions for a very long time. The Asturian people are very protective of their land and culture. For centuries, invaders tried to take over Asturias for its natural richness, such as gold and coal in the mountains and the rivers.
Another connection between the film and Asturias are the trails. The trails in Asturias go back to the Middle Ages, when the pilgrims were discovering different ways of traveling. In the short film those trails have also been there for a long time. The trails were there for their ancestors to go around riding their horses. In Asturias, those trails originated as a religious journey with a destination in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia. Nowadays anyone can go on those trails even if you’re not religious since they are a spiritual journey for everyone.
In my case, what I really connect to when I am in Asturias are the beaches. I embrace them like the boys do when they go biking in their land. There is one beach in particular, Santa Maria del Mar. This beach is in the Bay of Biscay in the Northern part of Asturias. It has a very important place in my heart because that’s where I spent summers growing up since I was in my mom’s belly. I love its sand and warm waves that hit the shore very gently. Something very interesting about it is the sand. The sand is black. Why? you may wonder… Well that’s because of the coal mine right next to the beach where the miners would mine a long time ago. It gives me deja vu of all the stories my family would tell about the richness of Asturian roots. That is not all, there is also an upper level with grass that you can have picnics at. That’s where me and my family meet up including my uncles, aunts, cousins, etc. There are also outdoor restaurants where you can eat at or have a drink. I really enjoy playing in the rusty swings with my cousin and playing in the warm sand making sand castles with my family. There are so many feelings and memories I get when I arrive there. They flood my brain like the way the waves flood your feet.
Just like that amazing fresh feeling the boys get when they step outside of their house to go biking, Asturias has a very deep and special connection to me. I love the familiar feeling I get when I go to its beaches. It’s a sensational feeling that changes you internally and connects you with something special. A very similar feeling that happens when you go hiking on the Spanish trails that the pilgrims made, just like the trails the boys’ ancestors would use. It changed their life and made it better for the generations to come. Almost as if our ancestors are here to guide us through the trails ahead.