Nature is a reminder of how small we are, how big and mysterious this world is, how interconnected it all is, and the realization that we belong within these relationships between species and air and clouds and rain and wind and snow and rocks. Being in nature forces us to take a step back from our everyday problems and worries— it’s the continual realization that we are a part of something bigger than us. It’s the sense of no matter how little we are, we belong.

Connecting with nature doesn’t need to require a 10-mile hike or a remote backpacking trip or a mountaineering expedition or a steep line in the backcountry. It can be the simple appreciation of a city park or a municipal garden or a crazy rock formation or a knobby tree. Sometimes I think the small ways we connect with nature are more authentic. It can be easy for intense outdoor recreators to lose the basic sense of gratitude for being outside because it suddenly becomes a competition for conquering the biggest wave or gnarliest line or tallest mountain.

On the flip side, there are millions of people in the world who do not have access to nature. There are no parks within walking distance. Trees are only planted amongst sidewalk squares. The color of the sky doesn’t change often. Stars or the Milky Way are hard to spot. The water is too polluted to swim. Playgrounds are solely plastic structures stacked on top of each other. Fake flowers frame storefronts. People don’t have the constant opportunity to recognize and acknowledge what natural wonders feel like, what nature makes them feel like, and remember the roots of humanity. There is a whole area of study on this topic and the economic, environmental, and social consequences of a lack of biophilia (the innate human instinct to connect with nature and other living beings). I am so privileged to have connected with nature in such intimate ways throughout my life, and this entitlement is something that drives me to want to help more and more people receive the same opportunities.

Outdoor recreators are also gatekeepers. We say we want the outdoors to be more inclusive, and that we want more people to experience nature, but we complain about packed trailheads, crowded lift lines, busy surf breaks, trashed crags, and discovered powder stashes. We don’t post locations and send tourists to the worst, most crowded areas. This is going to be a longer post at some point, but I think outdoor recreators need to identify sustainable and holistic solutions to degraded natural areas, our pretentious attitudes regarding gear and knowledge and traditions, how we can help newcomers feel welcome, and why we feel the need to conquer and chase the next biggest obstacle. No matter how often we make people feel like they don’t belong on a trail or in hiking shoes, nature will win over their feelings of being unwelcome. Nature shows us all that we belong with the birds and the bees and the trees and the seeds.

Ok— there are a lot of complexities and content and half-baked thoughts in this one. And I’m going to expand on it at some point, but this is what I’ve got for now. Here’s something I wrote about my happy place to conclude. Anyway, let’s all go for a stroll now and spend some quality time in nature.

Ridgetop Lunch

You made it!
You got to the top
You spent intentional time and effort
Experiencing the smells, noises, thoughts, surfaces, views
Of this mountain

You get an amazing view where you
Can take it all in.
You’re actually supposed to!
No other place in life is quite like that
You get a moment being cradled by this mound of earth
Connecting with souls wiser and older and more divergent than time

You get a moment of utmost self care,
A yummy meal of nourishing your body
In such a loving way because you know it so well
Exactly which snacks and how much and the best places to get them
The preparation before you leave of how to not only survive
But enjoy the most essential comforts on your journey
You did this just for yourself, and you deserve it

Where the land, the earth that enables you to live lays out before you
Every cloud, tree, rock, mountain, pika, bird becomes a paradise
And a sense of gratitude
That you, yes you, get to be a part of
This harmony, this balance that Mother Nature has perfected.

Your sense of wonder soars
What mountain is that?
How do alpine beings survive?
What trees and flowers and shrubs did I meet on my way up here?
Why do humans love doing this?

You get to know that you succeeded
You set a goal and you achieved it
You feel more free, more light
And now you get to go down
Familiarity, home, showers, beds, slippers.
You are so satisfied with these simple comforts to look forward to.
It changes your perspective on your reality, on your normal
The mountain has given you this sense of completion and gratitude
That you get to carry home with you

For those lovely moments (even if they are split seconds)
When you’re eating your lunch and staring all around you,
You’re not thinking about how tired you are
Or worrying about your return
Or stimulating a conversation
You get to take it all in. You’re encouraged to.