My appreciation for nature began in college. As a student at Binghamton University in upstate New York, my dorm community, Mountainview, backed up to the nature preserve on campus.
I think it was looking out of our common room window, which faced the preserve, that I first really saw fall foliage colors for how beautiful they are. I mean, I’d noticed the changing colors of leaves growing up, but for some reason never quite registered how wonderful this truly was until I was presented with that dormitory mountain view.
Gotta love that digital camera in the window’s reflection!
It was also that Binghamton nature preserve that helped me learn that I enjoyed hiking trails and spending time surrounded by nature. Prior to this, I’d never really considered myself to be a “nature girl”. I had never gone camping (full disclosure: still haven’t), I didn’t enjoy being in close proximity to bugs (still generally don’t), and the thought of walking around in the wilderness just didn’t seem like a fun hobby.
However, during junior year when I first begrudgingly explored some of the nature preserve’s trails with my college boyfriend, I realized what I’d been missing out on. Being surrounded by trees, flora, and fauna brought this overwhelming sense of peace, and completing a trail created this wonderful feeling of accomplishment. Like YES, I just spent time in nature and I freaking LOVED it!
I sincerely hope my photography skills have improved since then.
It wasn’t just woods and trails that captivated my attention as I got older. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know that I adore going to the beach. As a kid growing up on Long Island, it was common to pile into a car with family or friends on any summer day with towels, beach bags and coolers in tow, and head to Field 5 at Robert Moses beach. There, we would begin the process of locating any square foot of sandy real estate to plop our towels down on, and proceed to spend hours sunbathing and frolicking in the Atlantic until we either got too burnt or too tired.
In my twenties, I began to think more about this summer ritual that was so normal to me. So many people in the United States alone do not live remotely close to a body of water, let alone an ocean. Yet I have the ability to drive 20 minutes north or south and end up at the Long Island Sound, the Great South Bay, or the Atlantic Ocean. That’s pretty damn fortunate, and something that I have become increasingly cognizant of and grateful for as an adult.
There’s still plenty of nature exploring left to do, and I’m here for all of it.
Now, here’s my challenge to you for this upcoming weekend:
Take at least 15 minutes to appreciate nature in some way. I’m planning to check out some of the trails around the Bear Mountain Bridge in Garrison, NY. Let me know either in the comments below or on Insta what you end up doing, and most importantly…enjoy!
Until next time
Lau