Taking Time to Appreciate Nature

So, this weekend my parents came to visit me. They took me and a couple of my college friends on a hike to Hebron Falls which is one of the local waterfalls here in Boone. I'm not much of hiker, I'm not much of anything that involves a whole lot of exercise, but this small adventure really opened my eyes to one of the most least appreciated things for people trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle: taking time to enjoy what your'e fighting for. Sometimes I think I'm so caught up with the rules I've set for myself, and the cause I'm so focused on that I forget the point of it all. The point of decreasing your footprint and climate change in general is so that our children and our grandchildren get to experience the thrill of walking through a forest where the only sign of human life is the trail set before you. So, why would we not take advantage of this powerful opportunity we're given?

(From left to right) Hannah, me, and Michala pretending that we're on a cliff when really the edge is only about 10 feet from the ground.

As we walked through the woods, I was able to recognize with joy what a beautiful moment I was sharing with the people around me. We laughed and ran and jumped all along the trail. I felt like a child pretending to be on a dangerous adventure through the amazon forest. It reminded me of every national park I had the privilege to go to on the road trip with my family in High School. There were fireworks in my stomach the farther we went without seeing trash. It was a purely joyful experience. It didn't matter that our feet hurt or that we were hungry, we were too caught up in the experience.

Me and Michala tossing rocks so that we could build a Cairn in the middle of the rapids

That's the importance of taking time to appreciate nature. It gives you the opportunity to step back and remember why you started the journey of becoming sustainable. Even though I just started, I still find myself forgetting. So, I plan to take every opportunity given to me to appreciate the natural world around me, whether this is taking a hike, or just setting time aside to sit in the grass and soak in the sun. I encourage you to do the same, if you're able to. I am privileged to live in such a beautiful place that is surrounded by preserved forests.