I love nature! It’s as simple as that. As a born and raised Floridian I loved growing up close to the beach. I enjoyed swimming and fishing with my dad and hiking and star gazing with my mom. Both of my parents bestowed this love for nature in me that has never subsided. Now as an adult trying to succeed in the business world, I find that I no longer have time to go outside. I would make excuses and tell myself I’m too tired from work, or I need to clean this weekend or work on projects around the house. In code this means I’m going to have pizza delivered and binge watch my favorite show on Netflix.
My husband who is also a born and raised Floridian had a similar childhood. Playing at the beach, snorkeling, lobster diving, hiking, and kayaking are just a few hobbies he enjoys. As we sat on the couch one day watching our normal tv program, he looked at me and asked, “Why don’t we go outside?” The idea of going anywhere seemed foreign. Then a very vague memory came back to me. Growing up, my parents would take my brother and I camping multiple times through the year. One time we were camping in a spring in central Florida, as campers we had the privilege of park access after closing time.
The regular spring goers had departed and all that was left was a still spring and me. I went to the water and put my feet in and just sat there. I watched as the fish started to swim in, I caught a glimpse of a snake slithering through the waters, and turtles appearing one by one out of nowhere. I had not recalled seeing so much wildlife before when the spring was full of people. As the sky darkened my surroundings never did. The wildlife teemed with effervescence in the moon light. I truly felt humbled to be a part of such a miraculous event and what made this possible was that I had been camping in the park.
That memory had sparked a new adventure. It felt as if a fire had erupted in my soul and I wanted the feeling to last. We decided we did need to spend more time outdoors. We’ve spent so many years sitting on our couch that the imprints of our butts are permanently placed. As a rule, we were going to visit a new place in nature we’ve never been or haven’t been in a very long time. It seemed so perfect that we had gotten a tent and a bunch of camping gear from my parents for Christmas. When I received the gift originally, I didn’t think I’d ever use it. I mean who tent camps anymore. The more I thought about it, the more I began to realized tent camping is the best way to get close to nature. Chucking our electronic devises and exploring what the Universe has given our planet is the definition of getting back to our roots.
Love,
Nature Girl
