Be present, be curious, be kind to ourselves.
"In every whisper of the forest, in every caress of the wind, there's a peace that surpasses understanding. Nature doesn't rush, yet everything is accomplished. In its embrace, we find our rhythm, our harmony, our home."
As I sit here, typing away on my keyboard, with our little suburb's endless traffic as my relentless soundtrack, these words resonate with me more than ever. It's funny how we spend our lives racing against time, only to yearn for moments when time seems to stand still.
My first real tryst with nature was less of an elegant waltz and more of a clumsy two-step.
I have always been called effervescent. Even my wife makes fun of the way I throw my whole self into life. I did the same with the outdoors. When I was 10 or 11 and we were in Germany, my mom became quite the avid Volksmarcher - walking/hiking long distances and your reward is a stein or plate. I would happily join her, but I rarely stayed on the trails. We would return from these "marches" with her looking quite pristine and me looking like a wet mop. I was always armed with nothing but overzealous enthusiasm and a wildly inaccurate sense of direction.
Fast forward 20 years and I am still that madcap little girl that decides to 'find herself' in the wilderness.
As I stand here, surrounded by an expanse of green, more out of breath than a fish out of water, I realize nature has its own rhythm, a serene tempo that my city-tuned ears crave to embrace. Fast forward 20 years, and here I am, still that madcap little girl at heart, albeit with a bit more caution and slightly better hiking gear.
The wilderness, for me, isn't just about the escape; it's about rediscovering that effervescent child who found joy in every muddy puddle and saw a friend in every rustling leaf.
In these vast, green expanses, away from the predictability of suburbia, every hike is a throwback to those childhood adventures. Except, now I've swapped the Volksmarch steins and plates for a trusty water bottle, and my rewards are the moments of unexpected beauty and the whispers of wisdom carried in the wind.
I often joke with my wife that if I ever go missing, she should look for me in the nearest forest. She laughs, but she knows that the forest is more than my playground; it’s where I find my balance. In its embrace, the relentless race against time fades into insignificance. The forest doesn’t care for deadlines, and the wind doesn’t rush. In their timeless dance, I find a freedom that the 10-year-old me would have reveled in.
Each hiking trail is a reminder that life, much like nature, isn’t meant to be a sprint.
It’s more of a leisurely stroll, with stops to admire the view, to catch your breath, and maybe, just maybe, to have an impromptu picnic. Sure, there are times I stumble, or the path gets steep, but isn’t that the essence of every good adventure?
And let’s be honest, there’s something hilariously humbling about being outsmarted by a trail. You start off with the confidence of an explorer charting new territories, only to find yourself going in circles, wondering if that squirrel is secretly judging you.
But it’s in those moments, those pauses, where I find the profound peace the quote speaks of. It’s when I’m catching my breath, laughing at my own misadventures, that I feel the most connected to the world around me.
Nature’s pace is a gentle reminder that sometimes, the best thing we can do is simply be – be present, be curious, be kind to ourselves.
So, the next time you find yourself in the clutches of life’s chaos, remember the forest’s whispers and the wind’s caress. Take a step back, take a deep breath, and maybe take a little detour through your nearest patch of green. You might just find your rhythm there, in the heart of nature, where every muddy puddle is a story, and every leaf is a friend waiting to be made.
And if you happen to see a slightly disheveled figure, out of breath but grinning ear to ear, that’s probably me – still the effervescent child at heart, still finding her harmony in the whispers of the forest.
