The outdoors will always be my favorite place to retreat to. Being able to walk around in God’s giant forests is such a blessing. The trees just stretch to the sky and critters scurry around. The quietness revives your soul and gives you a break from the crazy hustle and bustle of every day life.
Last year I worked at a camp called Alliance Redwoods Conference Grounds. Attached to ARCG is Sonoma Canopy Tours. SCT is one of the most beautiful zip line experiences that anyone could ever have. I lived there for two months and within those two months, I fell in love with nature more and more every day.
I lived in a little house with four other girls. Here’s the catch, the little house was smack in the middle of the redwoods forest. I was able to walk out my door and start hiking the day away. On days that I had free time, I would hike for hours on end. It was a peaceful time that I could blast music and think life over.
Hiking through woods you are not familiar with is thrilling. Last November, I explored a hike down to the beach with my family. My brother and I had a blast running through the woods. Neither of us knew where the path would lead or where we would end up. The adventure was mysterious. We ended up popping out at the edge of this beautiful beach with huge crashing waves. To be able to wander through creation and end up at an even more marvelous sight is the best part.
God’s creation never ceases to mind blow me. I absolutely love sun sets and sun rises. People describe them as God’s water color paintings. When the pink and orange mix, it makes a marvelous picture in the sky. The thing is, you’re not the only person seeing the beauty, the creation is stretching across the sky for miles to see. Let’s just say, God is not a fan of hiding his handy work.
Aside from the beautiful skies, my top favorite place to adventure is the beach. The feelings of running down to the water and sticking my toes in the freezing water excited me. Waves are always marvelous to admire. The sand in my toes feel so good. The smell of fresh ocean surrounds me. The ocean is full of serenity. I wish I could save all the people who have never had the chance to enjoy the beach.
To those of you who do not get the opportunity to to get outdoors often, I strongly encourage you to do so. The feeling that you get when you have a new adventure is irreplaceable. Being surrounded by beauty is so calming. As a college student, having time apart from the books and going outdoors is called balance. I encourage you to grab a friend or two and just explore. Go find a local spot or make a day trip of it. The views that you will be able to experience will make every minute of the trip worth it.
So I challenge you to go explore!
