While journeying through Latemar we encountered many cows. I began to imagine my life as if I were one of the cows. I mostly wonder if they feel a similar sense of awe or the sublime.

The cows seemed pretty uninterested by our human presence and were certainy less excited to see me than I was to see them. I think the cows see humans more often than I see cows. So in a strange way, I was just one of the dozens (if not hundreds) of humans they see in a day.

Seeing the cows, I was better able understand modern life in the alps. These cows provide a lucrative, traditional method of subsistence. Through conversations with our guide, Alberto, and Juri, I learned that these cows are part of a very sustainable farming practice that have changed the landscape of the Dolomites, but not in a bad way as they help foster biodiversity.