“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.” - John Muir
I know you love nature. You know how I know that? Because you're a person (unless you are my mom's dog perhaps after suddenly learning to read)! I really believe we all love nature and feel a connection to it in some way. Maybe some of us don't enjoy bugs or don't like getting our new shoes covered in dust. Maybe some of us don't understand how land can be a resource just in itself without having to drill into it or dig it up. However, I don't think I've ever heard someone, after looking at a beautiful picture of the Grand Canyon, exclaim, "How ugly." We all have an appreciation for the outdoors (or at the very least the idea of the outdoors), but we experience it on varying levels.
But do we have an appreciation for being alone?
Do you revel in the beauty of being alone as much as you do nature? It's something I find myself going back and forth on often. Perhaps the idea of being alone is the same as the idea of the great outdoors. It looks pretty, it sounds nice, but some of us aren't really feeling it when we actually have to experience it first hand! However, there is something about putting those two together that really makes some magic.
When John Muir wrote, “I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in,” he knew exactly what I feel when I find myself out on a walk alone. The presence of anything wild, whether it be the tall trees, the singing birds (honestly they mostly squawk at me threateningly), or a cold wind, calms my mind so that I can really hear what is inside of me. The worried thoughts seem to vanish and make room for what's really important. I feel peace and an appreciation for what I have in my life. I feel appreciation for myself! All these ideas flow into my mind and I never once tell myself they're impossible or unachievable. In nature, I almost feel invincible (at least to the modern world and negativity, not so much to those birds that won't stop circling me).
Have you too noticed a change in yourself when you take a walk through a field or a forest alone? Tell me! What changed? Maybe you haven't, but I still hope you can enjoy these photos of Michelle enjoying her own peaceful walk in the snow covered trees. Comment one of your favorite photos below!
xx Ali
