I’m in a group called ‘Inspired by Nature’ here at Skyland Trail. I’m currently in the outpatient program, so everything is done by zoom. I was a little skeptical on how a ‘nature’ class group would go on a screen, but was pleasantly surprised by our activity this week – ‘awe journaling’.
We were tasked with remembering a time we had been in peace in nature – a beautiful scene we saw, memory, or experience. We then journaled about the experience using descriptive language. My mind immediately went to the trip me and Marcus took to Oregon the summer before Mila was born. I journaled the following:
During the summer of 2017, Marcus and I took a trip to the Pacific Northwest. We visited the Tillamook Forest in Oregon and spent most of the day in the mountains. I remember standing near the edge of a mountain, and being able to see nothing but trees as far as my eyes could see. The height of the trees were truly amazing, I had never seen trees that tall on the east coast. The trees were covered in moss, making them appear like giant fuzzy mythical creatures. The air smelled incredibly fresh. No fumes from the interstate, no mingling restaurant smells, just pure nature. After exploring the woods and hiking most of the day, we drove to Oceanside. I recall when the trees finally parted, and we reached the coast. I burst into tears at the sheer beauty of seeing giant cliffs emerging from the water. A sight I had seen many times in photographs, but for the first time in real life. It was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen.
I really enjoyed this exercise, and I know I will probably return to it when I feel stuck in the city, and like I need to ‘get outside’, even if only in my brain 🙂