When I think of the 'virtue' of courage, I immediately think of overcoming obstacles and the starting position I find myself in. I often find myself in unfamiliar territory. For me, courage means doing something that I wouldn't dare to do at first. It doesn't necessarily have to be related to fear, although there is often at least a certain amount of uncertainty in such situations. When I think back to my long solo adventure in Australia, when I spent the first few nights in my caravan in the middle of the Australian bush and listened to, among other things, the loud, orchestral animal concerts of the jungle, I felt quite uneasy. So much was unknown. "What is up to in the pitch darkness? Who is digging around on the floor behind my window? Is a snake about to get into my bed? What will I do if a big spider gets lost in my caravan?" Many people have told me that they lacked the courage to do so. After a while, I enjoyed carefully walking barefoot through the night with the moonlight above me, pausing to reflect. Every day, I went on a journey of discovery, observing my endless and beautiful 'garden,' and learning more. The Australian bush taught me a lot about respect, attentiveness, and connection. And so much more. I integrated myself as best I could and became familiar with nature. What was digging behind my caravan? It was a bandicoot, searching for insects with its pointed nose on an old tree trunk, finding them and then devouring them with relish. Miss Bandicoot came to visit every night. Looking back on this experience, I think my courage developed without me noticing it or thinking I *had* to overcome myself. I fell in love with nature; my courage came from my inner curiosity and deep interest in getting to know my new home and feeling comfortable there. And from my self-confidence.
