When I think about what makes me want to get out of bed in the morning, I think about the rugged nature throughout the earth. Outside of Sudbury, MA, there are towering mountains and fast current rivers that exude life and its beauty. Sheer rock ledges overlook some of these rivers where you can see earth stretch for what seems to be forever. I have been fortunate to travel to many wild and beautiful places. From what I have seen there is always a reason to celebrate life. These experiences provide me with inspiration and energy.

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            In the summer of 2010, my family took a trip to Provence in France. During this trip we rented a small house on a mountain with breathtaking views of the vast countryside. One day we took a day trip to the French “Grand Canyon.” Although the eight hour trip to get there made me want to jump in, it was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. It stretched on for hundreds of miles. Thousands of feet below the ridge we stood on a raging river that the sunlight turned almost turquoise. This sight made me realize how life is dangerously beautiful. Some of the naturally most dangerous places in the world today are stunning. During this trip we also rented canoes and traveled down a different wild and scenic river. We jumped in the water off of different ledges and had a great time, doing the simplest of things.

           

           When I was younger, my dad, my brothers, my dog and I all took a trip to the woods of New Hampshire. We stayed in a small cabin with no electricity or running water. It was right next to a white water river called the Lost River. While we were there, we went swimming in some less powerful pools, and hiked through the “rugged nature” of this area. I remembered thinking to myself; this is what people are meant to do during their life. We are supposed to experience adventures and see the mystical places that show earth in its natural state and give us a feeling of freedom. The Lost River was like nothing I had seen before. Small tunnels carved by thousands of years of water pounding on rock, formed deep channels filled with crystal clear glacial water running down from the White Mountains. All of the different forms of life surrounding me brought out the “life” in me.

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            After nightfall, we built a roaring camp fire and sat around it all night reflecting on what we wanted to do with our lives. All I could think about was coming to a place just like where we were, where I could really understand what my life is about. Living without all of the modern technology, I realized that our bodies are wired to survive without the help of modern appliances. Modern society’s reliance on technology steals some of our own self reliance and our reliance on nature. Although modern life is more efficient, it is sometimes less personally rewarding. Flicking a light switch is fast and easy, but much less joyous than making the perfect campfire, or hiking through dense forests at sunrise. I hope that people don’t change the environment so much more that we must travel longer than eight hours by plane for a natural experience, or drive further than two hours away to experience a life changing setting. 

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            I know that I can count on the natural settings of our world to help me shape my future. In these places, thinking becomes much clearer and I can feel myself understanding things that I would normally find confusing. In rugged nature, everything around us is bursting with beauty and life, affirming nature.