Change or self or change of scene?

I recently returned to Germany with high hopes of finding inner peace while volunteering at a farm in the Bavarian forest: surrounded by striking nature, being still and reflective, breathing in fresh air and breathing out worries. That was the idea anyway- it didn't go according to plan. The reality of the situation hit me like a plunge into icy water. My illusion shattered, I reflected and fretted on the long drive back across the country to the sanctuary of my late grandma's home. I was disappointed, anxious about the future and tearful.

It took a few days of feeling sorry for myself to realise that the letdown stemmed from deep-rooted, stubborn expectations. After all, disappointment is always wrapped in high expectation. Without even realising I had done so, I had idealised the volunteering project and distorted the facts until they melted into my hands like malleable clay; until they became exactly what I was looking for in an end-of-degree change of scene.

Ironically, what I was searching for I ended up finding at my grandma's familiar place: I went for long walks in the nearby forest, I took in the soothing view of the imposing Alps; I read, stilled my mind and relaxed; above all, I breathed out some of the tensions that had been coiling deep within me and felt rejuvenated, calm and hopeful for the future. 

So although 'often a change of self is needed more than a change of scene', I think that a change of scene can sometimes facilitate a change of self; taking myself away from familiarities caused a shift within me and made appreciate what I have. As the wise old chap, Goethe once said, 'character is best formed in the stormy billows of the world'. Perhaps I wouldn't have come to this realisation had I not travelled, had a reality check, and then come to appreciate what is waiting for me at home.