Sophs #4 journal--NATURE-teacher, soother, healer
COMPLETE OVER CHRISTMAS BREAKThe Romantic artists of the 19th century viewed nature differently from their neoclassic predecessors. To the Romantics, Nature wasn't just an orderly scientific force to be studied and predicted. The Romantics worshiped the beauty, the strangeness, the evolution, and the wildness of Nature. They looked to Nature as a teacher (To a Waterfowl), as a soother (I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud), and as a healer (Thanatopsis).
What has been your experience with Mother Nature? Choose to write about one of these four topics.
1. I learned a lesson from this incident with or observing nature
2. This natural experienced solaced me
3. This natural experience exhilarated me
4. I have no such natural story. I prefer the indoors, and I'll tell you why
Need some brainstorming help? Think about your experience with animals, maybe your pets. The animals around your house. Your vacations at the beach, camping in the mountains, or just hiking through the woods. Nothing is too insignificant to write about. Remember, William Wordsworth wrote about viewing a field a daffodils (see link) how can still dance with the daffodils.
posted by JTF @ 9:18 PM
45 comments
45 Comments:
One random act of nature that exhilarated me was the earthquake that we experienced over the summer. Some people felt the earthquake while others didn’t. In my house, we could definitely feel this earthquake. At first it was scary, we didn’t know what was happening. After we figured out it was an earthquake and we watched the news, I wasn’t scared anymore and I realized that it was indeed exhilarating. I was sitting on the couch with my sisters and my mom was making lunch in the kitchen. The couch started to shake and at first I thought it was my brother being annoying. Then as the shaking got more violent and everything started shaking, my first impulse was to run outside. After we were all outside we could see the rings in the water in the pool that the shaking of the ground made and we realized what we just experienced was a earthquake. I remember actually wanting aftershocks to come just to experience this again. I realize that it is a dangerous situation but I also thought it was cool. Most people were scared for days and didn’t want any aftershocks. Of course, no aftershocks followed the earthquake. Even though this natural phenomenon exhilarated me, I do not think that I would want to have another one. Earthquakes can be very dangerous. Experiencing this earthquake also in a way made me glad that I don’t live in California or somewhere where these are common. If we had another earthquake I think it would be just as exhilarating as long as it wasn’t harmful.
An experience with nature that taught me a lesson was a hurricane. I was in the Outer Banks in North Carolina on vacation. There were bugs everywhere and there was always tons of heat lightning during the evening and night. We all knew we were in the middle of a heat wave and we didn’t know when it would end. It had rained a couple of times but that didn’t even lower the temperature that much. Then one day, out of nowhere, there a huge hurricane that lasted from one late morning to the next day’s early morning. This huge made the house sway back and forth and it scared everyone in the house. The rain was pounding on the walls and windows and we were terrified. Then the wind was howling and we couldn’t find a way to be louder than the wind. The thing that terrified us the most was when we heard trees starting to fall. We didn’t want our house to get smashed by one of these huge trees. We didn’t know what to do and we couldn’t understand where the hurricane came from. But when we woke up the next morning we were finally cool, and we were almost cold when we went outside. This showed me how mysterious the weather and Mother Nature really can be. But it also showed me that each mysterious thing that happens has a reason to it. This wild and crazy hurricane made the heat wave finally end and brought back the normal heat of the summer in the Outer Banks.
The last natural experienced that exhilarated me was actually quite recent. It was over the past summer and shook most of the northeast. Everyone from Georgia to northern Maine was surprised by at least a small jolt from the aftershock of an earthquake that centered in southern Virginia. I had never once experienced an earthquake before and I doubt many other people at all on the east coast had. I remember it clearly because although it hit well past noon, I was still have asleep lying in my bed. I almost fell back asleep, but then I became really uncomfortable because my bed started to shake uncontrollably. I was about to yell at my dog downstairs because I was grumpy and thought it was his fault for running around the house. Then I stood up and realized the entire house was still shaking and everything was falling of my desk. Mind you I was barely awake so I thought I was in some kind of exhilarating dream. My Mom screamed for help and I thought she must have gotten hurt badly. I ran downstairs and found out she just needed my help the lift this huge mirror we have in our living room because it almost fell on top of her. Then as I was lifting the mirror, my mom screamed again because our flat screen TV looked like it was going to topple over. She went to stop it from falling and just then the earthquake ended. It couldn’t have lasted more than 30 seconds but it felt like an eternity. I couldn’t handle all of what just happened so I decided not to think about and just go back to sleep.
There is this once place that always exhilarates not just me, but my whole family. You may be wondering what exactly this place is and where it is? Well it is in the neighborhood Ocean Colony in Ocean City, MD. Every year, on the first week of August, all of my dad’s side of the family rents one house together and we share it. Some may view this week as a whole ball full of stress, I know for certain that my uncle’s ex-wife did, but for us kids, it is one exhilarating week of non-stop fun. From going to the beach at ten in the morning, to going to Jolly Roger’s Water Park, to going laser tagging, to going to the boardwalk at least twice in seven days, we all enjoy it one hundred percent. Not only do we enjoy it because of all these great places we go, not to mention the awesome restaurants we all indulge in when we are down there, we get to experience this every single year with our family. Sure, the parents love it too, especially my uncle and father since they’ve been going to Ocean City since they were children. This experience brings our whole family closer, and it makes my grandmother so happy to see her whole family together and having fun. So no matter how stressful that week is at the time, I always look back at it as a wonderful week of family fun and bonding.
When I was in 8th grade, my family decided that we were going to spend our spring break in Colorado Springs, Colorado. My brother and I weren’t too excited since most kids don’t spend their breaks in Colorado and we never really heard of anything interesting there. Even though we didn’t really want to go, it was better than sitting home all break so we went. While the plane was landing, we stared out the window and saw nothing. It was really depressing to look outside of the place you’re spending the next nine days and see nothing but open land. Now we really weren’t looking forward to this vacation. The next morning, we woke up to snow. I was spending my SPRING break at a place where it was snowing. And of course I only brought spring clothes with me since I was not expecting it to snow during my vacation. We were all pretty bummed out so we set out to find something to do. The hotel manager suggested that we go on the Cog Train to the top of Pike’s Peak. So that’s exactly what we did. The four of us were assigned seats on the train and then the conductor talked for a while. Basically, we sat in a train for over an hour while we rode all the way to the top of a mountain, Pike’s Peak. It was truly an amazing experience. The mountain was covered in perfectly white snow. All kinds of different trees scattered the mountain and it was just a really peaceful ride. As we progressed up the mountain, there were different levels or sides of nature. The beginning was pretty flat and had the most animal life. This part of the ride was the side of nature we see in the ordinary. But as we went higher up the mountain, it was a whole new side of nature. The mountain was covered in bare trees and snow but it wasn’t a boring sight. Towards the peak of the mountain, you could see other mountains in the distance and it was like a photograph. Once we reached the top, you got to see the whole thing again on the way down. That train ride really opened my eyes to the beauty of nature. You don’t really think of nature as anything special until to experience it in a new light. I did not look forward to that vacation at all but it proved that the beauty of nature can be found in any situation. Going to the top of a mountain really helped me to respect nature more and it helped me find peace in the little things of life.
I live on a cal-de-sac and the end of my street is backed up to woods. A few years ago, my neighbor showed me some of the trails that were behind his house. I continued exploring the trails and eventually I came across another larger trail back where the power lines were. This trail was rather long so I decided I would ride my bike instead of walking forever. I rode down the dirt and rock covered trail, the wind blowing across my face giving the impression that I’m flying. Eventually I come to a beautiful creek. I saw it and it’s easy for me to say that it was breath-taking. It was absolutely stunning. I cross the creek and discovered that there was a neighborhood there. Further investigation proved that my friend Mike Conner lived there. It was summer time when I discovered this so I now rode over to his house once or twice a week to hang out and go swimming in is pool. It was great! One day two of my friends, Morgan and Amanda, came over to my house. The weather was blistering hot so we asked Mike if we could come over and go swimming. Of course, he said yes, so we set off through the woods to his house. Since we were going swimming, we were wearing flip flops- not the brightest idea for walking through the woods. We finally came out of the woods and reached the power lines. We were walking along the path, laughing and having a good ole time when all of a sudden, a huge deer jumped out of the reeds next to us! It literally jumped across the path 8 feet in front of us. The three of us almost peed our pants as we screamed and ran the other way. My friend Amanda was almost half way home by the time she stopped running. It was the funniest that happened to me in a long time. We were scared out of our minds because it was so unexpected. This experience was so exhilarating and amazing; I will never forget it.
In April, my family took a trip to Niagara Falls to see the natural phenomena. Being accustomed to warm, spring weather in April, we were entirely unprepared for the snow flurries that accompanied us on our drive north. When we crossed the bridge to Canada, it was hard to see any of the falls. The next day, though, when we went to see it, the sight was astounding. The sound of the water crashing down the falls made it nearly impossible to hear anything else, despite all of the tourists there. Because it was so bitterly cold, the mist rising up from the falls was freezing onto our jackets and the gusting wind was practically lifting us off of our feet. It was both terrifying and awe-inspiring to watch huge chunks of ice rush down the river and then crash down the astonishing 173 foot drop back into the river. Although the air was so numbing that we were forced to defrost in the gift shop, eventually, I was lured back outside into the snowy mist just to gaze at the mighty waterfalls once again. Thinking about how powerful the rushing water was while tumbling over the edge, was a truly exhilarating moment I encountered in nature.
Throughout my entire life, I have lived right outside of the woods. It is characterized by the brambles that consume most of the woods, leaving it almost impossible for people to go into them. As far as animals, there are plenty of them that call my backyard their home. Deer, rabbits, birds, and groundhogs are almost always present around my home. In a regular day, I really don’t think much of the woods. But upon thinking of an experience when nature really captured my attention, I immediately thought of my backyard. I don’t think one experience ever stuck with me, but the mystery of the woods has come across my mind. The backyard has been a place for a great deal of memories. But the real woods remains untouched by my family, even though it is our property. We never think about adventuring beyond our backyard, but I have always wanted to. Maybe one day, I will gather up the courage to go into the woods and see what’s really there. But for now, the unknown is enough to fascinate me, and calm me at the same time. Seeing the families of deer or the birds perched on my deck really put me at peace. It’s interesting to me that we are just feet away, but there is a completely different world there.
When I lived in Jacksonville, Florida, “hurricane season” was in a way our version of the “fall season”. Us Floridians didn’t exactly look forward to it, but we accepted it as just another one of the four seasons (the others being “the nice season”, “the hot season”, and “the ridiculously hot season”). One storm that was very memorable to me was Hurricane Dennis in 2005, probably because we lived in a “deed-restricted community” on the edge of a swamp. I was 10 at the time and in either fourth or third grade. My grandparents from Arizona were staying with us for a few days, and were obviously annoyed at the fact that they picked possibly the worst weekend to visit, being that the Hurricane was steamrolling the Caribbean and heading to Florida. My family had stopped running from hurricanes in the past few years, mostly because we believed we could suck it up. The Hurricane landed in the panhandle of Florida, about a three hours drive away. We still got hit pretty hard. We were hit in the middle of the night, and the water line of the swamp began to rise, literally right up our backyard. The water rose over all our sandboxes and other assorted play sets, all the way to about a foot or so from our backdoor. My regretting father, who had just finished packing the car for an evacuation, sat there at 3 a.m. watching the water rise. Flashlight in one hand, a coke in the other, he sat watching the water for hours. I also couldn’t sleep because a few huge trees were right outside of my room, and a few of them had already fallen away from my room. I was terrified of a those trees falling into my room that night. By the time I got up, the water had stopped rising, but the wind had gotten worse. That meant it was time to mess around outside. In our “deed-restricted community” lived many other kids, and they grabbed skateboards and beach towels and went wind surfing. Our sandbox I mentioned earlier became my canoe as I rode around our flooded yard. The whole ordeal became surprisingly fun. I know that is sort of like saying “the best time to go fishing is during a nuclear winter”, but because I was a 10 year old, I didn’t realize just yet how deadly the hurricane actually was. Today I sort of roll my eyes when Delawareans start stocking the shelves when Glenn Schwartz warns that “a mild tropical storm is headed our way!”, but the recent Hurricane Irene reminded me of all the storms we had in Florida. I’m happy to say I won’t be missing that one season anytime soon.
As I stood at the top of the mountain, I noticed the harsh beauty of the bleak midwinter. Barren trees, leafless and lifeless, were draped in snow and were all I could see for miles and miles. I simply gazed at the many mountains I could see in the distance.
The brisk, cold wind blew past me as I sped down the nearly empty slope. That was my favorite feeling in the world. The snow, like powder, was perfect for a day of skiing. I couldn’t help but think about nature’s simplicity and beauty as I continued onward. The fact that the trees of the forest and the newly fallen snow were so close and accessible to me took my breath away. There was nothing to hear except the barely audible glide of my skis on the slope. But I could feel the rhythm of nature. It was pulsing in time with my heart’s beating and my legs moving. It was like I had become part of it, of nature. Once again, the raw beauty of nature struck me. I never wanted to become distanced with this experience of nature, so fully around me and inside of me, calming my troubles and setting me free.
The human mind is one part of myself that never seems to stop. Thinking, dreaming, hoping, mourning and many other actions are actions of the mind. With this rapid action constantly reverberating within our selves, it’s hard to find a simple escape or way to get away from it all, but this is where nature comes in. I recall once, it was a rainy day and I was just feeling really down and uninspired for some silly reason. So I had opened my garage door and just stood in the rain for a while. This one, small experience with nature really seemed to put things in perspective for me. Most people view the rain as a gloomy and sad phenomenon of nature but it really isn’t. It is however, a sort of rare experience. We wish for it to be gone when it is here and storming, but when it does not rain, we want it more than ever. This could be related to some of our goals in life. From a distance you really hope to achieve what you set your mind too and of course we set the best expectations for us. Yet, in reality when we get to that fork in the road, where we can push just a little farther to put our goal into fruition all of our fear and doubt seems to take root. For me, this experience in the rain on this one wrongly labeled gloomy day showed me that we have to “dance” in the rain. Take chances to see what the results yield. Nature here taught me a lesson. If you think about it, the weather can reflect the various emotions that we as a people can experience and by learning from nature we can cope much better and take more risks and learn even more about ourselves. This one lesson showed me that if you don’t put yourself out there, you would never know what lies in your future. Ultimately it is up to us individually though. We must decide if we want to just see our opportunities as “another rainy day” or “a chance to get wet” because in the end we can learn so much from pushing our boundaries and simply embracing the wonders of nature and life.
i love the beach. i could spend all day, every day of my vacation basking on the sands, with spf of course!, and bathing in the waves. For me the beach is both calming and exhilarating. It can lull you to sleep with the sound of rolling waves breaking softly against the shoreline, or take your breathe away by submerging you under a breaker. As you lie on your towel, with the earbuds in, sun rays warming your skin, and a gentle breeze blowing through it is the epitome of tranquility. Yet, while your swimming against a rip current as it pulls you further out to sea you feel a sense of reality as the ocean brings into perspective how small you are in comparison to the world, and how it will always win. Perhaps the most amazing thing about the sea is its ability to spur emotions of peace and euphoria at the same time. As you look on over the open ocean the vastness and magnitude can be overwhelming, yet strangely comforting to help you realize if every fish has a place in the sea then also every person a place in the world. i love the ocean, the beach and all that pertains to them, which is why it is here that i feel most connected to nature. While i am not particularly an outdoors person, i could eat, sleep, and basically live on the beach and i hope that one day everyone can experience what i have there as well !
Although i dont have one particular event, I have had many experiences with nature and the outdoors. Every summer my family goes camping up in the Adirondacks in upstate New York. We go up there with our cousins and spend the week in a cabin on a lake. We ski, canoe, kayak, swim, climb mountains, and just have a great time in the outdoors. The mountains we climb have amazing views and are really amazing sights to see. Just being in the outdoors away from society and the problems of modern day life. all the stress and strife given from school and work and everything else. all you have to worry about is bears. they are scary, especially up close. We take long canoe trips to different lakes, fish, swim around, just have some fun with our cousins. It is always a good time. i think everybody needs to get outside to the great outdoors and the mountains. America really is an amazing place to see because of all the different sights. i definitely feel like the kids my age dont get out nearly enough. you can see the enitre state of new york from one spot on a mountain. it really is incredible.
We see nature everywhere we look, but most of the time we don’t appreciate the beauty of it. Nature can make us feel peaceful, excited, or just make us think. I can recall a time when nature truly exhilarated me, and that was when I went to the Grand Canyon. When I was eight years old my family and I took a trip out West. One of the stops was Arizona, which is where we went to see the Grand Canyon. I had never heard of the Grand Canyon before, but my mom was trying to get us all excited to see it, but my mind could only grasp so much, so needless to say I wasn’t exactly ecstatic to see this tourist spot. When we got to the Canyon, words can’t even explain the beauty it portrays. It is truly a work of art, but was not manmade. I remember staring at it for long periods at a time, just taking in everything. It was exhilarating because having low expectations going into the Canyon, and getting there and realizing that it was a pretty big deal was exciting. The best part was going over and sitting close to the edges of the Canyon. Looking down at the massive drop also added some excitement. The Grand Canyon is a beautiful masterpiece of nature, and I’m truly grateful that I was fortunate enough to experience the exhilarating place.
Several years ago, my family flew to Denver, Colorado for a family reunion. No member of our family lives in Colorado, but because my aunt, uncle, and cousin live in Canada, that was the meeting city. This was a very neat experience for me to go to Colorado because the only other times I experienced the “great outdoors” were the camping trips I went with my Girl Scout troop eons ago (that always ended me having the stomach flu and being sent home). We didn’t hike the Rockies for obvious reasons, but because Colorado is basically just hills and mountains, we did a lot of hiking. The idea of hiking didn’t exactly please me because I am more of a “shopping in New York” kind of vacationer, but I was surprised to say the least. The views atop the mountains were magnificent because I could see trees and waterfalls for miles and miles. There were many tourist hiking attractions present in Colorado and the one I liked the most had a huge running waterfall that someone could sit on of the nearby rocks. Once my brother, sister, and I sat down on a pretty big rock, my mom’s camera turned that moment into the next year’s Christmas card! Because I didn’t really like any of the souvenirs the little shops sold, I “borrowed” a pinecone on a trail we were hiking up a mountain. I guess sometime between then and now, I threw it out but I remember that every time I saw it, the memories of that Colorado vacation filled my mind with happy thoughts. When I saw this one part of God’s great creation, I was in awe at His power. From the beauty of nature, I learned the value of not taking things for granted because God gives us all that we need.
Mother Nature always leaves me astonished and with a lesson of life. There has never been a time in which she has failed to give me an answer to my problems, a new reason to be thankful for life, or a euphemistic explanation to the world. She gave me one of, and maybe the best ever, euphemisms when I was at Carousel Park. I was sitting by the pond watching the birds with my mom. I had brought along some bread in order to feed them. (Yes, I am that odd person who finds great delight in standing in the center of a flock of birds having them look at me like I am some all-giving, great being.) When I saw that the time was right and that enough birds had gathered, I pulled the loaf of potato bread out of my draw-string bag and accosted the sitting birds. They knew at once what I was doing and stood up. Though, there is something odd in the order in which they came squawking towards me. First came the geese and swans, both majestic but at the same time obnoxious and overly greedy. They snatched up every scrap they could find and even fought, beaks full with bread, for more grainy morsels to fill their already full stomachs. The next group of birds to arrive at the feeding frenzy was the adult mallard and wood ducks. They came waddling and bumping each other but nonetheless, when they got to me they waited to be given their share. Though, they did not fight over spilled bread, they were quite greedy and continuously demanded with their quacks that I give them more. The final collection of birds to get to me was the babies of all assorted types of birds. They came tripping and rolling, ugly and confused, but when they got to their destination the group of birds each took one piece of bread and went away. I do not know if this was because of their lack of experience with different types of sustenance, but I like to believe it is because this trampled and young group of birds was the kindest and “most humanitarian” of the bunch. Though I may seem somewhat insane when I make comparisons between fowl and people, I truly do think that this is what Mother Nature wanted me to see on that day. She wanted me see that even though beautiful people may come squawking and racing to meet you, they may be the worst in the end. They always seem to start fights between themselves or among others, and nothing is ever enough to satiate them. The common person comes next to investigate who you are, and though they may not bring arguments and quarrels, they can bring greed that will lead them to use and abuse you. My favorite, the selfless and downtrodden, come next. They bring with them all the awkwardness and inexperience of the world due to age or naivety. Though, through this purity, they bring no sense of greed and no need to fight. Seeing as how I am comparing birds to human beings, this relation should not and cannot be taken literally. All I am saying is that on that day Mother Nature made it clear to me through this lesson that not all come in peace. Some people may try to enter another’s life in order to use them or start conflict. I am not saying that all my friends are kind people, but that I find through my assortment of friends and companions, both “beautiful” and “ugly”, the ones I hold dearest to my heart are those who came to me because of who I am and not because they wanted to use me or wanted someone to back them through their drama.
Mother Nature always leaves me astonished and with a lesson of life. There has never been a time in which she has failed to give me an answer to my problems, a new reason to be thankful for life, or a euphemistic explanation to the world. She gave me one of, and maybe the best ever, euphemisms when I was at Carousel Park. I was sitting by the pond watching the birds with my mom. I had brought along some bread in order to feed them. (Yes, I am that odd person who finds great delight in standing in the center of a flock of birds having them look at me like I am some all-giving, great being.) When I saw that the time was right and that enough birds had gathered, I pulled the loaf of potato bread out of my draw-string bag and accosted the sitting birds. They knew at once what I was doing and stood up. Though, there is something odd in the order in which they came squawking towards me. First came the geese and swans, both majestic but at the same time obnoxious and overly greedy. They snatched up every scrap they could find and even fought, beaks full with bread, for more grainy morsels to fill their already full stomachs. The next group of birds to arrive at the feeding frenzy was the adult mallard and wood ducks. They came waddling and bumping each other but nonetheless, when they got to me they waited to be given their share. Though, they did not fight over spilled bread, they were quite greedy and continuously demanded with their quacks that I give them more. The final collection of birds to get to me was the babies of all assorted types of birds. They came tripping and rolling, ugly and confused, but when they got to their destination the group of birds each took one piece of bread and went away. I do not know if this was because of their lack of experience with different types of sustenance, but I like to believe it is because this trampled and young group of birds was the kindest and “most humanitarian” of the bunch. Though I may seem somewhat insane when I make comparisons between fowl and people, I truly do think that this is what Mother Nature wanted me to see on that day. She wanted me see that even though beautiful people may come squawking and racing to meet you, they may be the worst in the end. They always seem to start fights between themselves or among others, and nothing is ever enough to satiate them. The common person comes next to investigate who you are, and though they may not bring arguments and quarrels, they can bring greed that will lead them to use and abuse you. My favorite, the selfless and downtrodden, come next. They bring with them all the awkwardness and inexperience of the world due to age or naivety. Though, through this purity, they bring no sense of greed and no need to fight. Seeing as how I am comparing birds to human beings, this relation should not and cannot be taken literally. All I am saying is that on that day Mother Nature made it clear to me through this lesson that not all come in peace. Some people may try to enter another’s life in order to use them or start conflict. I am not saying that all my friends are kind people, but that I find through my assortment of friends and companions, both “beautiful” and “ugly”, the ones I hold dearest to my heart are those who came to me because of who I am and not because they wanted to use me or wanted someone to back them through their drama.
On New Year’s Eve, I went to my friend’s house to celebrate. The whole night was loud and chaotic and we had a really great time with all of our friends. After the party and most of the guests had left, we decided to stay up all night to bring in the New Year. We stayed up and talked for hours. That in itself was a good experience, but the best part came around six in the morning. The sun was just starting to come up, so we grabbed all our blankets and ran outside onto her porch to watch it rise. Just sitting there and watching the sun go up was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever experienced. It made me realize that I take for granted something that happens every day, without fail. This picturesque event happens every morning and I never sit and appreciate it. It really made me wonder what else I take for granted, what other gems I’ve been missing. Things like this always make me wonder what the world would be like if more people stopped trying to fill every moment of every day with activity, and just let things be. Seeing the sun rise that morning was truly exhilarating. It refreshed my mind and body and the fact that I got to share it with my best friends made it even more special. I’ll never forget how beautiful it was and I’ll never forget how peaceful it made me feel. I will always appreciate nature.
Each winter I patiently look forward to the snow. December hardly ever brings any, and January can be a hit or miss. Come February, however, and we’ll be knee deep in the fluffy white stuff. Snow has its obvious bonuses: days off from school spent sledding and building snowmen with friends. Of course, this is dependent on how much snow we get. What each snowfall unfailingly brings is beauty. Roofs of houses are covered in white icing; trees are sprinkled with powdered sugar. The pure, unbroken snow stretching across an open field looks impossibly pristine. A thick blanket of snow can make even the most unassuming of landscapes a picturesque scene. Even if Christmas has passed, the look of a snow covered town keeps the holiday spirit alive. Nothing gives me such a feeling of complete calmness as looking out the window on a winter night and by the light of a lamp, seeing the snow gently falling to the ground. Safe at home, I just have to wait until morning to see what Mother Nature will leave me. Watching the snow fall gives me that child-like feeling of magic in the air, the feeling that anything can happen. Part of the mystery of nature is that even the best meteorologists cannot predict exactly what will happen, and snowfall estimates are often off target. What starts as flurries could become the blizzard of the decade. Who knows? Breathtaking, inspiring, and mystifying, snow can be a source of beauty, exhilaration, and solace.
Usually a person can feel when it is their time to go. When this feeling is brought upon them they usually begin to make preparations for their funeral or sometimes even say what they will come back into the world as. For my great grandfather this is just what he did. He battled cancer for several years, and when he knew his strength couldn’t last much longer he drove my great grandmother to the cemetery.
As they drove around the cemetery he began to slow down. He put the car in park and stopped right next to the largest tree and said right here is my spot. He looked over at my great grandmother who was in tears and said you will know I’m here when I shake the tree. About 10 days later he passed away while taking an afternoon nap. The day of his funeral was a very overcast warm fall day. As we drove into the cemetery my dad put his window about an inch down. As we got close to the tree we began to slow down. My dad parked the car and was just about to put the window up when a leaf fell right in the crack and landed right on his lap.
At this moment nature exhilarated me. Nature proved to me that day that my great grandfather was with us. He didn’t want us to be upset and crying over him, he wanted us to know that he was there. That small, yellow leaf was his simple way of saying goodbye and “I love you.” Realistically leaves fall everyday from trees, but no matter what I believe nature let this leaf fall for a reason. Nature knew we needed a sign to just know that he was okay and that he was there. It’s amazing how nature caused that one small gust of wind to hit that delicate leaf and just let it gradually fall into the lap of my dad. It’s almost as if nature grew this tree for a reason. This beautiful tree is not just a tree it’s a treasure to my family. This tree fills us with joy even when we are in the cemetery. On that dreary fall day I truly was exhilarated by nature. That leaf not only filled me with joy but it put the biggest smile on face in the cemetery, a place usually not known for big smiles. My great grandfather came back as that tall and giant tree. There are millions maybe even trillions of trees in this world but that tree that grows a little bigger in that cemetery each year is my great grandfathers. A simple piece of nature like a leaf or a tree in my eyes is pure beauty because of him.
Romanticism took hold of many artists in the nineteenth century. Romantic artists saw the value and beauty on nature, and nature became a common them of poetry, music, and art. In the eyes of the romantic artists, nature was a beautiful entity that had the power to teach, soothe, and heal. Much like the romanticists of the nineteenth century, I have previously been impressed by nature. I greatly value its ability to teach, and I believe that humanity can learn much from even the simplest aspects of nature. Reflecting of my experiences with nature, I am able to recognize the lessons it has to offer.
We experience nature every time we step outside or cross paths with wildlife. However, on form of wildlife that I rarely encounter are deer. However, I usually am able to spot several deer whenever I am at my cousin’s house. My observations of the deer have led me to relate their behavior to that of humanity. Deer tend to flee whenever a threat appears. This is relatable to the tendency of humanity to fear the unknown. One lesson I have learned from this is that, while trust is important, people should be cautious and practical, or they may have to deal with negative consequences. Nature is more than just a scientific force. The simple aspects of nature embody valuable lessons for humanity to discover. Like the romantic artists of the nineteenth century, all people should recognize the value and beauty of nature.
I live in a rural area, so nature is everywhere around me when I go outside. There is a large forest near my house, so sometimes I like take a walk to see the different plants and trees. Last summer, I taking a walk in the forest when I saw a bad storm approaching. I quickly went home and watched the storm begin. It was one of the worst storms that I ever saw, and it last through the night. The next day I went back into the forest and saw that many of the old trees had fallen down and were crushing other plants. The forest was a mess, so I decide to come back a week later to see if things got better. When I came back, I saw new life sprouting up everywhere and new trees beginning to grow. The lesson I learned from nature was that nature always does things for a greater purpose, even if it means destroying things. The storm that caused all this destruction actually made way for new life by opening up space that the old dead trees used to take up. I also learned that nature is always at work, and it is always moving forward and making new life.
My family has traveled to many beautiful places over the past few years. We have seen the trees changing colors in New England, the beautiful redwood forests and sea lions lounging on the beach in California, and incredible rock formations in Colorado. However, no place has ever impressed me as much as Niagara Falls in Canada. Water is such a beautiful, powerful force that gives life, while also taking it away. The sheer force of the Falls took my breath away. The water was so powerful that I could not even here my parents speaking to me. Pictures cannot even capture the incredible force of the Falls. To understand the power of this waterfall here is a statistic: 600,000 gallons of water fall over the crest of Horseshoe Falls every second. My family took the “Maid of the Mist” boat tour which took us pretty close to the Horseshoe Falls. Because of the force and power of the water, I could not see anything but a sheet of white in front of me. I got soaking wet, which answered my question about why we were given ponchos. I have never been so amazed by anything in my life. Niagara Falls was so powerful, yet so beautiful and intriguing at the same time. I will never forget that experience.
I know from experience that nature has the power to teach people lessons. Although some people might not realize it when it happens, we have all been taught a lesson from nature. In my case, I learned a good lesson from the tsunami in Japan. Although this terrible nature disaster brought many casualties, you can look back and see the lesson that it taught us. In my mind the lesson it taught us is that we need to work together with other countries in the world to help each other out. After the tsunami hit Japan all the inhabitants were devastated and in dire need of help. Fortunately for them many people from all over the world donated to help the Japanese citizens repair all the damage that the natural disaster had left them with. Even a donation as little as a couple cents literally saved a life over in Japan. Now we have to hope that we can remember the lesson nature taught us the next time two countries start conflict or go to war against each other: we need to put aside our differences because through the tragedy of the tsunami in Japan, Mother Nature taught us that we rely on each other and we need to get along and work together.
One of the most exhilarating things I have ever experienced from Mother Nature would have to be the earthquake we had back in the summer. I had never experience an earthquake in my whole decade and a half of life, and this was definitely at the top of my list of experiences. I was babysitting for the first time ever, and I wasn’t even at my own house. I was sitting on the floor with the baby, maybe watching some Barney or playing with her stuffed animals, when all of a sudden I heard this odd noise. The living room floor started to shake as well. My first thought was that it was just a strong gust of wind. When the wind blows pretty hard, I can feel it when I’m sitting in my room at home, so this was a logical answer to the random shaking. I picked the baby up and walked towards the kitchen to look out the window. None of the tree branches were moving, just a peaceful day. About a split second after the shaking had stopped, I realized it was very smart of me that I had picked the baby up and had stopped in the doorway. It was then that I realized that I had experience my first, and maybe my only, earthquake. I find nature to be a de-stresser, like when I go for runs in the woods. But this earthquake was nothing like that. It feels amazing to have experience such an exhilarating thing.
Each year, my family vacations to Anna Maria Island, a small island off the gulf coast of Florida. The island itself is truly amazing; its warm waters are the clearest blue and its palm trees soar above the bright beach cottages. When I visited the island this past summer, my family decided to go parasailing. I was ecstatic just at the thought. We rode the boat through the ocean waters and out to sea. Three dolphins swam beside us as we made our way out, and before we could blink they surfaced as one dolphin jumped out of the water. It was an amazing way to start such a cool experience. After we were far off shore, it was time for me and my sister to go up in the air. Suddenly, we were five hundred feet above the water. The warm breeze was blowing through my hair and I could see the entire length of the island. As I looked down, I could see straight through the crystal-clear water at a school of fish swimming just below us. About thirty feet off the shore of the island a manatee swam just feet away from a family on a boat. I could even see the sea-green bay off the coast of the other side of the island. The view was absolutely amazing. The entire time I was in the air I was wonderstruck yet somehow still calm at the same time. Everything I saw I never would have been able to see on the shore. I was able to put my view of the island into a whole new perspective. I could see the waves rolling on the shore, the marine life swimming below the water, and the palm trees swaying with the breeze. Nature has its own power – its special way of working things – that I don’t think I can truly understand. It’s amazing how something as simple as seeing a school of fish swim right below me can bring me to such a relaxed state of mind. Nature has the power to change my emotions; I just have to view nature in a different light. This experience with nature is one that I surely will not forget.
Nature has affected my life in so many ways. It has taught me a lesson, its excited me and its even scared me half to death. However, there is one experiance in particular that solaced me as well as teach me a lesson. One day I was so upset and frustrated about what happened that day that I decided to go for a relaxing walk. As I was walking, I felt the small drops of the large rain cloud just above me. This, of course, was not helping me feel to much better. Now I was upset and was about to get poured on. Then the expected happened. It started raining and I was no where near my house. At this point, I felt like nothing was going my way. Then the unexpected happened. The clouds broke just enough for the brightest sun that I had seen for a while. Now it was raining but right in the middle, the sun was shining. I never knew it could rain and the sun still be shining. This event comforted me and made me forget what had happened that day. It also taught me a lesson. It told me that the is always going to be hard times, but if you keep going, There will be bright spots and good times.
I have been in many instances in which I have experienced nature in a breathtaking way. However, I distinctly remember one experience that was truly exhilarating, solacing, and magical. Two summers ago, my neighbors invited my family to come canoeing on the Brandywine river with theirs. My family nor I had ever done anything of the sort, and therefore we were excited to take on the adventure this trip would bring. We drove to Westchester, Pennsylvania and rented canoes through Westbrook Canoe Company. After what had seemed like an infinite wait, a bus had arrived and took us and the canoes to a safe spot on the river to begin. Although it did take a while to get the hang of it, as we predicted, everything about traveling along the river was very different than I expected. My brothers, sister, and I anticipated for it to be arduous to maneuver around other canoes, and the surrounding nature, but fun, exciting, and unpredictable with an upbeat current. However, to our surprise, no one flipped over once during the three hour trip. For the majority, we seemed to have glided across the surface of the water with a little bit of guidance from the oars. The nature surrounding the river was beautiful and serene, creating an ambiance of tranquility and wonder. The foliage seemed to create a canopy over us as the sounds of the rushing water and calls of birds or croaks of frogs completed the atmosphere. As wonderful as the whole trip was, it did not even compare to what we all experienced as we came around a particular turn in the river. The roof created by the branches of the trees had opened up, and allowed sunlight to pour onto ourselves and the river. We could now see up and beyond the bordering trees. As we turned into this part of the river, we were all struck by the beauty and awe of thousands of dandelion seeds filling the air. They seemed to have been falling from trees down to the water, and they did so in such a graceful and elegant way. The atmosphere all of this created at once was truly whimsical. Those few minutes we spent slowly gliding through the scene brought about a mood unlike no other. I, as well as everyone I was with, felt at peace and in bliss with nature, each other, and the world. Any worry or trouble any of us had on our mind was forgotten and replaced with an emotion worthy of a smile. Nature had brought us a feeling of heaven. To this day, my neighbors, family, and I all reminisce about the amazing trip we all went on together. However, we all hold close in our hearts the memory of its remarkable and unforgettable part.
I have been in many instances in which I have experienced nature in a breathtaking way. However, I distinctly remember one experience that was truly exhilarating, solacing, and magical. Two summers ago, my neighbors invited my family to come canoeing on the Brandywine river with theirs. My family nor I had ever done anything of the sort, and therefore we were excited to take on the adventure this trip would bring. We drove to Westchester, Pennsylvania and rented canoes through Westbrook Canoe Company. After what had seemed like an infinite wait, a bus had arrived and took us and the canoes to a safe spot on the river to begin. Although it did take a while to get the hang of it, as we predicted, everything about traveling along the river was very different than I expected. My brothers, sister, and I anticipated for it to be arduous to maneuver around other canoes, and the surrounding nature, but fun, exciting, and unpredictable with an upbeat current. However, to our surprise, no one flipped over once during the three hour trip. For the majority, we seemed to have glided across the surface of the water with a little bit of guidance from the oars. The nature surrounding the river was beautiful and serene, creating an ambiance of tranquility and wonder. The foliage seemed to create a canopy over us as the sounds of the rushing water and calls of birds or croaks of frogs completed the atmosphere. As wonderful as the whole trip was, it did not even compare to what we all experienced as we came around a particular turn in the river. The roof created by the branches of the trees had opened up, and allowed sunlight to pour onto ourselves and the river. We could now see up and beyond the bordering trees. As we turned into this part of the river, we were all struck by the beauty and awe of thousands of dandelion seeds filling the air. They seemed to have been falling from trees down to the water, and they did so in such a graceful and elegant way. The atmosphere all of this created at once was truly whimsical. Those few minutes we spent slowly gliding through the scene brought about a mood unlike no other. I, as well as everyone I was with, felt at peace and in bliss with nature, each other, and the world. Any worry or trouble any of us had on our mind was forgotten and replaced with an emotion worthy of a smile. Nature had brought us a feeling of heaven. To this day, my neighbors, family, and I all reminisce about the amazing trip we all went on together. However, we all hold close in our hearts the memory of its remarkable and unforgettable part.
During the summer of 2011, the Diana side of my family traveled south to Dewey Beach for a week of vacation at the shore. The weather was great overall, except for one day in which a huge storm surge swept Dewey during the day. My family was relaxing on the beach, but then, clouds began to linger on the horizon. The drums of thunder were heard up and down the beach. A massive downpour began almost immediately. The rain had every beach goer fleeing for cover in just a matter of minutes.When my family arrived back at our hotel room on the top floor, we listened to the rain strike the roof. When the rain began to die down, we ventured out onto the roof top deck and looked out onto the ocean and saw an exhilarating sight. We could see the storm that once plagued the beach was now far out on the ocean. Lightning strikes occurred almost every minute and the loud rumbling of thunder was heard after every strike. I am normally very afraid of lightning, but never before was I in such awe when I saw the multiple lightning strikes attack the ocean. This moment in nature was so exhilarating because, at the same time, I felt a sense of fear and a sense of admiration towards nature. Watching this rainstorm on the sea gave me a small glimpse of the power and beauty of nature.
A couple of years ago when I was in sixth grade, my friend Isabel invited me to her beach house for the week. It was my first time away from home, and I was crazy excited. It was a stately house in a secluded area, and the beach stretched in front of it was completely deserted. This suited me just fine, having always had a love for the outdoors. Instead of sharing a packed beach with eighteen hundred loud, obnoxious people, I got to sit by the ocean and listen to music with my friend. Instead of bustling boardwalks, I had the opportunity to bike everywhere, and was constantly pedaling away on the dusty streets. Nature surrounded me everywhere, and it was stunning. A single incident stands out to me as the most thrilling, frightening, and fantastic occurrence with nature I have ever had. One minute we were laughing and playing tag with Isabel’s brother and some of her next-door neighbors, and the next I was in the ocean, having tripped trying to escape her brother. I am terrified of the ocean, and drowning, but in that moment I felt weightless and happy. I could feel the swelling of the tides wash over me, and I was not afraid. Now, even four years later, I can’t get over how remarkable the experience was- although I am still scared of the sea.
Nature is something you see almost every day. However, most people just take it for granted and don’t appreciate it. When I went to Florida last spring, I saw firsthand nature at its best: the Everglades. In the Everglades, there are hundreds of different animals and plants. It was truly incredible riding in the fan boat past endless cypress trees and grasslands. Unfortunately, it hadn’t rained in a while, so I didn’t see any animals because they were in a wetter part of the Everglades. Still, it was beautiful. Since we were in a fan boat, we could go far into the swamp where the water is only a few inches deep. There, the cypress trees grew together and formed a sort of tunnel, and at the other end of the tunnel it opened up to a much wider and deeper body of water. Surrounding the body of water were wide open grasslands with small trees in the distance. The man driving the boat stopped here, and a shrieking hawk flew in and perched in its nest nearby. It was so calm and peaceful. This was really nature at its best. The whole scene was just so serene. This experience was one of the best experiences with nature I have ever had, and it really made me see and appreciate its true beauty.
The awe and wonder in my life comes mostly from what I cannot see. I can't see love. I can't see freedom. I can't see happiness, joy, sadness, or anger. I can't see time, and I can't see wind. Yet each of these attributes play an important role in my life. Wind amazes me more than any other force of nature. I can see the effects of wind everyday of every season. On a summers day I might watch blades of grass blow across a verdant meadow. As summer turns to autumn I can see crimson, gold, and amber leaves drifting through the air. In the dead of winter I might see barren trees swaying from side to side and bending back and forth. And during a spring shower I see rain gust in different directions as the wind guides its path. I see what wind does all the time, but I can never see wind itself. But amazingly, although I have yet to see wind, and probably never will, I have never once doubted the existence of wind. I can feel wind around me, and I can see its effects and that's what makes me believe in its presence. I have taken this lesson and applied it to the rest of my life too. People tell me all the time that God isn't real because I can't see him. But I can feel his presence and I see his effect on my life, so I know he exists. I don't doubt God, nor do I doubt the wind. People tell me that freedom, the entire basis of America, doesn't exist. But I feel the joy freedom brings to my country, and I see all of things I am able to do because of the ideas of freedom. I don't doubt freedom, nor do I doubt God, nor do I doubt wind. I can take this idea and apply it to anything in my life, and therefore I am never brought down by what other people tell me. I never cease to be amazed in life by someone's definition of 'real' because “seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing.”
One natural experience that simply exhilarated me happened during the summer of 2010 while I was at Camp Tockwogh on the Chesapeake Bay. This was the first summer that I began sailing without an adult supervisor on board. I had already taken a beginner’s sailing course at the camp session the year before and I was now ready to take on the water. When I first began sailing over a period of twelve days, I was with one other camper and it proved to be exiting but also very nerve racking. We had a great amount of responsibility resting on our shoulders for our own safety, but thankfully we were being monitored by counselors in motorboats. Although this experience involved a man-made sailboat, known as a Sunfish, I had to rely greatly on the rhythms and mood of the great outdoors. As I developed a sense of comfort and familiarity with the bay, I felt increasingly more connected with my surroundings, specifically the wind and current. The greatest part of this entire experience was the cooperation that I felt was between myself, the boat, and the natural conditions. It was as if we were all helping each other out in our own ways. This opportunity to challenge myself and gain experience in the bay showed me the rewards of being in harmony with the nature on the bay.
My experiences with nature have fascinated me. My most memorable experience was when I was visiting a waterfall near my house. It flowed intensely and splashed off of the scattered rocks below it with great force. I was amazed with how a seemingly endless supply of water could gush with such force without stopping. It showed me the true power of nature. Sometimes when I go there after a storm, a fallen tree or large branch will be stuck between the rocks at the top of the waterfall, blocking some of it. This amazes me because the water, no matter how powerful, can be stopped. Even the smallest twig can make a difference in how the water flows. The waterfall eventually branches off into a wide stream and due to the fluctuations in the amount of water it sometimes leaves small pools between the rocks. In these pools live all sorts of aquatic creatures. The water that sustains them is the same water that gushes down the rocks, showing how nature can also nourish. This same waterfall managed to show me the might of nature, the delicacy of it, and also the sustenance of it. How one waterfall can show me all of these things truly amazes me.
I have never really loved the outdoors and enjoy staying indoors, but I have had a few experiences with nature. When I was ten I went to China and saw some very beautiful things. Unfortunately I was only ten and therefore did not appreciate it as much as I should have and do not remember it well enough to write a blog about it. A more recent exhibit of natural beauty in my experiences was visiting Niagara Falls. When I was fourteen we took a trip to Toronto during the summer between middle school and high school and we stopped for one night in Niagara. The Falls were two of the most beautiful things that I had ever seen, and you could see rainbows in them. We took a boat tour and I enjoyed riding near the falls and getting covered in the mist that came off of them. Though taking the boat ride was exciting I think the falls did more to solace me than to exhilarate me. Though the falls made a lot of noise it did not make sitting there looking at the falls any less peaceful even with all of the tourist attractions around. I really enjoy going to Niagara Falls and found it much more enjoyable that going to the hustle and bustle of the city of Toronto. Going to see the falls was a wonderful experience that I will remember for a long time.
During my lifetime, I have had many experiences with nature. A certain time, however, really showed me what nature was all about. It was three years ago, when I was in seventh grade. It was my first time going to Aruba that I actually remember. The night before we left I could not sleep because I was so excited to relax on the beaches and not worry about anything. The first few days were nice. We laid by the pool and went in the ocean. During the middle of the week, however, we rented four-wheelers and drove around the island. Most of Aruba is desert with many caves and pools. Aruba is known for the many natural pools it has and a natural bridge. Since it is mostly desert, there are no roads and you have to find the caves, pools, and bridge with no sense of direction. It took us almost two hour before we found them. When we did, however, I got a feeling that I will never forget. The way I saw the water brush up against the natural bridge was amazing. It baffled me to see that the earth itself made these pools and bridge. It showed me the true meaning of nature. It also made me want to keep the earth cleaner and preserve its natural beauty. I found myself not wanting to leave. The experience truly changed me as a person and changed some of my values. I now appreciate nature much more.
What’s the first thing that I think of about when I need to write a paper on nature? Well, it’s probably not quite what the reader would think. In sixth grade, three of my neighbors and I were peacefully walking our way to go snowboarding in a small 10-30 foot gulley at the edge of a nearby river. We stopped at a small clearing in-between the hundreds of Multiflora Rose bushes, which, with their thousands of stickers that had already given us a few “war-wounds”, had complicated our endeavor. It was beautiful site, completely covered in snow and icicles. At that moment each of us thought the only natural thought for sixth-grade boys, we should build a fort here. And so we did. On the first day after the snow cleared, the four of us left home with all the necessities to clear the forest and construct a fort: shovels, hedge-trimmers, and a case of root beer. The site we chose seemed perfect, it had a great view and soft ground. After about three days of what I can’t exactly describe as labor, we had dug a small somewhat-circular pit with walls and a dirt “seat” in the center. We felt so accomplished by our small victory and we plotted for the future. When we came back two weeks later, we were shocked at what we found. The small, seemingly dormant brook we had built out fort by had started flowing again. Everything about our beautiful fort: the mounds of earth we called walls, the dirt we were too lazy to dig out that we called a chair, and some random hole I dug in the chair, were all gone. The little brook had actually managed to wash away our walls and flood our trench. Even today I walk past all that remains of our fort: a slightly depressed and discolored area and one stick left standing from our walls, solemn reminders of the temporary nature of most things we attempt but the rare permanence of just a select few. That is one of lessons I can take away from nature, that even the greatest effort can be easily erased by the sands of time, just like our fort was washed away by a brook.
I don’t think there is anything more natural in this world than the ocean. Not only just the entirety of the huge body of water, but everything it holds within it. At least once a year if not more, my family will travel to an island. This past summer I had the amazing opportunity to stay on the island of St. John for two weeks. Every morning I could wake, walk out the door and right into the crystal clear water. My sisters and I would spend countless hours with our masks and snorkels looking at all the colorful fish and coral. Some days we would leave our villa and go to other beaches or take a boat out to a reef to snorkel. One day my family and I took a boat through Drakes Passage and we stopped to snorkel in the coves near Norman Island. This entire are was Robert Louis Stevenson’s inspiration for the book Treasure Island. When we first got into the water I couldn’t understand what Stevenson found so amazing about this passage. Sure the fish and coral reefs were bright, colorful, and beautiful like all of the rest around the Island, but there was nothing spectacular about this certain area. It wasn’t until I went inside one of the coves that I understood was Stevenson saw. The structure and the life that was inside of this small alcove took my breathe away. It almost looked like a buzzing city. The fish swam frantically back and forth between the coves through the stone openings under water and if you went far enough back earth’s ceiling rose and you could keep your head above water. It made me realize how much there really was underneath our feet when we walk above the water.
When I think of a natural experience that exhilarated me, I immediately think of a past trip to Tennessee. Two summers ago, my family stayed in a cabin for a week in Gatlinsburg, Tennessee. While we were there, we took a hike on a trail in the Smoky Mountains National Park. It was a one hour hike to one of the mountains waterfalls. On the hike, I was stunned by the beauty of my surroundings. All of the vegetation and the view from the mountains was stunning. Once the trail ended, we reached a waterfall. The waterfall was absolutely beautiful. Water cascaded off of rocks hundreds of feet tall, and the water was crystal clear. At the bottom of the waterfall, where the water flowed down slowly, there were flat rocks where you could sit right beside and underneath the falling water, which was extremely calming. Near the waterfall, you could sit on the edge of the huge rocks, and look down at the view below from the mountains, while listening to the steady flow of the water. That was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever encountered in nature, and it was a truly magical thing to experience.
This summer I traveled to Glacier National Park. It was for family vacation and I wanted to take a long mountain hike to a place called Iceberg Lake. The hike was 6100 feet up and 4.8 miles in either direction. To get to the lake, one had to climb through a rocky mountain path, an evergreen forest, a wildflower meadow, and then finally emerged at the lake. Bear in mind, we went in the dead heat of summer. AC was a necessity at the bottom of the valley. But at over 6000 feet up, the temperature was quite cool. The lake it self proved that by being covered in ice... in the beginning of August! There was still snow on parts of the trails! It was amazing. The water at the lake was so cold. Only a brave few ventured in passed their knees. One girl actually went in all the way (and proceeded to come out faster than I have ever seen anyone move). However, it was on the return trip that nature truly did exhilarate me. We looked down into the valley and saw a perfect panorama of mountains, forests, meadows and the lake. And playing down in the meadows were a mother grizzly and three cubs, completely oblivious to us. That made me realize that we are not the true owners of this place, but they are. We can only hope that nature continues to allow us, humble visitors, to continue to come and view the amazing natural beauty that I witnessed there that day.
Being on a sailboat on the Chesapeake Bay is a very solacing experience. It is also exhilarating at times, but most of the time I find it calming. I remember one beautiful day when everything was perfect. The wind, the water, the temperature, everything was great for sailing. Going out of the marina and watching all the other boats slowly disappear behind me was amazing as I went out into the open water. The cool wind was blowing against my face, and the sun kept me warm. Eventually, when we got out far enough, my dad began to put the sails up. We turned off the motor, and then the real peace and fun began. Because of the winds we went fast, but not too fast. The waves helped us along. It was so great that I could take a nap on top in the warm sun without worrying. After my family’s perfect time on the water, the time came to return back to the marina. Even docking, which is usually a challenge, wasn’t hard at all!
This day showed me how amazingly peaceful and calming nature can be. On that sailboat in the bay I was able to escape from all of my troubles and just enjoy the moment. Nature is very healing and is a great medicine. Everyone was happy and all smiles during the journey and for the rest of the day. I get a calm and joyful feeling whenever I am out on the water, but this day was particularly wonderful and I will never forget it. I hope for another day like this next summer!
One day when I was around ten years old I was in the forest in my backyard. I was just walking side by side with a small creek when I noticed something. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed something, something I will never forget. In the middle of the creek I saw a strange object that I had never noticed before. As I got closer I started to smell something awful and the closer I got the more scared I got. Every step I took this fear got stronger and stronger. But I knew if I didn’t find out what it was the more I would regret it in the future. So when I was ten feet away I finally figured out what it was. It was the dead remains of one of the foxes that live in the forest. As soon as I figured it out I took off in the other direction as fast as I could. I didn’t look back until I was all the way up the hill at my house. And on that day I learned that life is fleeting and that you should enjoy each day to its fullest.
A long time ago, back when I lived in New Jersey, Mother Nature didn't really affect us in the way she affected the rest of the country. In around 2003, New Jersey was hit with one of the worst blizzards we had ever experienced. We weren't prepared with snow blowers and necessary truck loads of salt like many others. Fortunately great neighbors like mine give a lending hand to one another in times of need, and this was one of those times. The street I lived on was long and narrow, and my house was the third to last house at the very bottom of the road. I remember the snow almost buried the stop sign, just enough for people to still be able to see that tilted green, snow-dusted sign that read "Fulton Ave." It took everyone by surprise, and cleaning the entire place may have taken a week. It was definitely a memorable experience. I thought it was lovely to be nine and walk up the dusty side walks with the snow covered leash of my dog. I remember seeing that all the dull city buildings were well covered, and the dirt that built up on top and around the city buildings and houses were gone or covered up by the constant thrashing of pure snow. Looking back, I thought it was a beautiful view at night, to look outside of my window and see no traffic, just white powdered houses and traffic lights not changing, not a single person on the street. There was a baseball field diagonal from my house, just off the main road, and you could see that no one was even practicing, but the bright lights were on, as if waiting for a game. It seemed like for once, everyone slept at the same time and life was at a stand still, and the silence of life just made that blizzard all the more exhilarating.
Sometimes, nature can soothe a person’s soul, and other times, it can excite a person. During my summer vacation to Canada in 2010, my family and I were in the area of New Brunswick and were heading to Nova Scotia. At around noon time, we stopped at a diner-like building that was near a cliff. We visited the visitor center nearby to get some information about the place, and in the center was a big viewing zone. At the bottom of the cliff, there was a body of water (the Bay of Fundy) that opened up to the ocean. What was so exhilarating about it? The view from the visitor center and the top of the cliff is breathtaking. Plus, when the time comes for the tide to go out, the salt water in the lake escapes while the fresh water comes rushing in, creating a whirlpool in the water. I wanted to go to the bottom of the cliff and get a closer look so badly, but first my family and I watched a movie about the place. Then, we went down to the bottom of the cliff, and there was a small dock with a tour boat there. The captain of the boat said that tours could be given some time after lunch, so we ate lunch at the diner. After that, we came back down and got a tour of the lake, the docks that were near the ocean, and any other things that could be seen there. The tour was great and the rest of our time there was as well, and I have to admit that this was probably one of the four best reasons this trip was so excellent. I was amazed when I saw the lake from so high for the first time, and my heart was pounding from the excitement of wanting to see it all.
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