I can remember being eighteen when Red Dead Redemption 2 came out.
About 3 quarters into the game, there’s a great cowboy shootout in this big valley by a winding stream of water. Once you shoot all the virtual bandits, you can see down the stream and see a massive granite cliff face with the sun peaking through. It was so awe inspiring, I was destined to determine if that was a real place. Sure enough, it was a recreation of the Yosemite Valley. That was the exact turning point that made me go outside not just for a shitty skatepark, but to appreciate the Earth.
This was the start of a long and slow burning journey into my love of everything nature has to offer. I started going on hikes, which turned into car camping, rock climbing, backpacking, and eventually biking. It wasn’t just fueled by admiration, but rather a fear/realization that we are destroying the planet and all of this will soon be gone. This little rock has been spinning around for millions of years and we’re the first species to invent cars, the military industrial complex, and Costco.
I like to think of nature as a ripe fruit that is ready to be picked and shared. You can enjoy it in so many ways that do no harm and give you valuable experiences. It seems wasteful to spend these short few cycles we have around the sun not enjoying this bountiful fruit. We are (mostly) born in man made structures (hospitals) , spend all of our childhood in them (school) , and spend all of adulthood in one (most jobs) . Once I visualized that, it made me rethink where I chose to spend my free time.
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For some people, the outdoors won’t have the same effect. It can be hard being in those environments your whole life and suddenly have your college friend try and drag you out to a camping trip. “Why would I shiver in the cold and sleep in a nylon dome while bears try and eat my Clif bar?” That’s a great question. First, you probably need a down jacket or just anything that isn’t polyester. Second, it takes the right perspective to actually enjoy the best parts of nature.
We are surrounded by noise and stimulation constantly. You open your phone and see targeted ads on social media, you drive your car and deal with people who drive like it’s their first day on the planet, and pass billboards saying you will go to hell. These things are so prevalent in our everyday lives, we begin to drown it out. It all loses meaning because everything means nothing. I take my time outside as a way to combat the modern headaches pushed upon us. It’s those moments at camp where you can see the fire glow and hear the sound of the wind push the trees. This seems obvious, but taking it in as a way to appreciate the gift of life that has been here before us is humbling. We are incredibly lucky to have millions of plants, animals, rocks, etc. that all live in harmony with each other. For a small moment in time, humans are not the primary focus. Rather, nothing is focused, we’re just coexisting.
All I ask is that if you haven’t tried being outside in a more observant and neutral approach, give it a shot. Go on a hike somewhere and just soak in the atmosphere. Camp somewhere that doesn’t have an RV hook up and be glad you didn’t get a spot next to college kids blacking out. Or just find a small quiet spot where you can’t hear road noise.
