Journal #17

Bonding with nature is a very important aspect of my life. I do not believe that I am a full blown Romantic, but I do agree with some of their views. For instance, I really do like their belief that nature is a sort of pure experience in which one may bond with. I can remember quite vividly one point in which I had a bonding experience with nature. I was in Virginia near Roanoke, and I was working on the Appalachian Trail for an organization called SCA, or the Student Conservation Association. I spent three weeks camping and building 250 yards of new trail by hand. We had to relocate the trail off of private ground. Over this period of time, I became much closer to nature. I had always enjoyed being outdoors, so I decided to sign up for this program. I am very glad that I did because I think I truly did bond with the environment around me. There was one moment especially that I felt very connected. I went for a run down the trail after we were done working one day. Not only was it an amazing run because my body felt good, but it was a gorgeous day outside. I heard the birds chirping around me and all the little woodland critters such as the rabbits and squirrels. When I got back to the campsite, I felt very refreshed. Even that night, I decided to sleep outside of the tent because it was such a pretty night. That was one of, if not my favorite, night of the summer because of the natural feeling I experienced. Another point in which I felt at one with nature came every morning. The morning chill and fog made the hike to the work site each morning quite beautiful and serene because of the silence except for the birds. Overall, I think that trip brought me much closer to the nature around me, and I cannot wait to go back on a similar camping trip this coming summer.