Journal #17 - Nature Bonding 101

I think the first time I actually bonded with nature was when I visited California and Oregon for the first time ever about two year ago. I found out literally three days in advanced that I would be making the trip out west, and seeing that I had never been beyond Illinois westwardly, I was really excited to see the new scenery that Oregon and California had to offer me. When I first got off the plane it was around 1 am Pacific time, but instantly I could smell a difference in the atmosphere. It smelled cleaner, fresher, and more radiant than nasty Illinois did. The next morning, I was able to see all of the mountains that surrounded the home I was staying in. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was living among nature. Later in the week, I got to see the ocean in California also for the first time. As soon as we got there, I took my shoes off, despite the fact that it was about 50 degrees outside. Feeling the sand between my toes was awesome. I remember just soaking up the sun and seeing how the ocean basically went on as far as the eye could see. The highlight of my nature experience on that trip was the last day I was in California. We went to this place up in the Valley and drove our car through a tree that was practically twice the width of any vehicle. After that, we were able to hike up the mountains and see the view from the top of the peaks. It took about two hours of hiking, but it was definitely an experience of a lifetime. We also rode a zipline thing through the trees up to the highest point of the mountains before leaving. I ended up getting priceless pictures. Thinking about it now, I really miss the nature that Oregon and California had to offer me and I cannot wait to go back as soon as possible.