Beauty is out there to be discovered. Like the act of exploring nature and finding a spectacular waterfall, so too can this be done with a person. In meeting someone, there is the initial understanding of their surface beauty—like the pleasant town this waterfall was close to—but in getting to know the surrounding area you’ll begin to discover the beautiful waterfalls in their personality, values, passions, struggles, or simply the little mannerisms that make you laugh.

I have travelled a long distance—including a 24 hour flight, countless buses, a breezy motorbike drive dodging potholes, and a quick hike—before arriving to this place tucked away in some remote mountains. It’s no easier with a person. Getting to know them takes just as many miles in conversation and time together. Maybe you’ll find a waterfall just off the side of the road and other times you’ll have to hike up and down a twisting muddy trail through the jungle before coming upon a particular beautiful quality of who they are. 

These “waterfalls” are not exclusive to their positive qualities however; They include the hardships the person is going through and the needs that you yourself can meet. It’s how their differences fill in for what you may be lacking. A lot of the beauty in relationships—with a partner, friends, or family—is the give and take in getting to know not only them but yourself as well.

Just as it is my joy to seek out the endless natural beauty of the Earth, there is much more to be found in any single person.