Chasing Stillness

A feeling I chase is silence. I search for it everywhere. In a world where stimulation is all around, I feel the need to get away from it all. 

Nature is wild and free and simultaneously calming. Nature is concrete — the natural world, the air we breathe, the trees that nourish us, views that inspire us. Nature is abstract — a state where you connect with the Earth and the inner rhythms of yourself, without human interference. Nature encourages wonder and imagination. Some say that they do not enjoy nature. Maybe they need more time to experience what nature offers beyond getting outside for fresh air. It takes time to connect to a world where nothing is manufactured. 

The natural world is where I settle myself and my mind; it's more than just the mountains, sunsets, rain, and snow. It's a feeling of stillness.

I find myself overstimulated by the hustle and bustle of the city when my family and I make the trips to Boston for Red Sox games. Fans streaming out of oven-temperature subway cars, thick Boston accents foreign to my ears, and smells of competing sausage carts throw my inner rhythm offline. There is no escape, and while I enjoy the experience, often my return to Vermont is the best part. Traveling along rivers carved through mountain valleys I exhale and breathe in quiet. Time slows, nature surrounds while stillness and silence return.

The natural world is precious and fragile and deserves our respect. In competition with our way of life, nature is the underdog. During the winter season, Vermont experiences an influx of tourists into our ski towns. This breathes economic life into communities but challenges our natural world when humans are careless. For example, water for snowmaking can damage ecosystems and runoff from salting roads threatens fish in our rivers and streams. Sometimes tourists bring up the volume of my quiet and disturb the rhythm of life and the natural world. The disruption of my rhythm is fixed by spending time where I don't feel the presence of the city folk.  

Our natural environment is simple if looked at on the surface, but with a change of perspective, you discover a place where you can settle and ease yourself back into the crazy world. People's definition of comfort varies, but for me, it's the mountains I'm surrounded by that I call home. Some will never understand the connection to nature and the natural world. 

This place I call home is in my bones, it feeds me and I respect its power and the gifts it gives in return.