I absolutely love getting out into nature. Whether it’s the beach or the forest, there’s just something about it that renews a passion for life, revitalizes, and restores my sanity. That being said, there’s something incredibly soul sucking about not doing it nearly enough and being cooped up in a concrete jungle. Between traffic, light pollution, too many people, and work, it’s become abundantly clear to me that sometimes I need to get away—like really far away. This past weekend, I drove 10 hours away. Here are some perks I've found so far:

1. I haven’t gotten a phone call in about four days: nothing from work, no dealing with random situations that appear around the house, and no getting invited to things I couldn’t possibly care less about and having to figure out a way to get out of it.
2. I have zero societal pressure to put on pants. Actually, I have zero societal pressure at all. I’m currently on a mountain at least 45 minutes away from any other civilization that only has internet when I turn on the generator. I get up, I do some work around the farm, and I play with dogs all day. I’ve recently made friends with a German Sheppard who follows me everywhere. He’s goofy, friendly, and watches my trailer at night while I sleep. Already preferred to most people.
3. I’m not confined by a clock at all. I cannot stress how relaxing that is. I go to sleep when I’m tired, wake up when I wake up, and I have no idea what time it is 90% of the day. There’s something incredibly freeing about not having those two forever alive hands strangling me every second of the day. There’s no clock to beat, nowhere to be, and it’s wonderful.
4. I’ve had time to think through a lot of things I’ve been putting off and I’ve been able to do it in a relaxing place. Where am I going? What do I want to do? When do I want to do it? And every other question imaginable. But instead of feeling like I’m in a spot that demands an immediate and perfect answer, it’s more like being in a spot where it’s exciting and I’m actually looking forward to the future.
5. My sleep schedule is fairly normal now. Instead of going to bed at sunrise and waking up at sunset, I’m finally doing the opposite of that.

All in all, getting away from clocks, social media, and the clutter of everyday life can be a great way to “reset” your life. There’s something about that sweet, clean, fresh air that city life doesn’t offer. Something about waking up to a few goats outside your door and a wasp convincing you to exit your bed that gives you a great mix of “aww” and “Oh dear God save me now.” I give it a ten out of ten, would do it again.