There have been a lot of times that I have bonded with nature. I really like to be outside and under the cover of trees, despite my love of the Internet and computer games. There is something very calming about being in nature with only the sound of the wind and the sounds of the animals.
Anyway, this past summer I went on a mission trip to Marion, Virginia. The place that my group stayed at was a cabin retreat at Hungry Mother Lutheran Retreat Camp, up in the Appalachian Mountains and right on the border of a national park (I cannot remember what the name of the park was - it may have also been Hungry Mother). We were right in the center of nature, and in the afternoons when we all got back from our work sites, I would put on my tennis shoes and hike through the forest. It was amazingly beautiful; there was a mountain meadow down the hill from the cabins, and several brooks that led to a bigger creek that was shallow enough to wade through. The forest was thick, but there was an abundance of paths to traverse through it, along with many beautiful and natural rock formations. I felt like I was in heaven.
I specifically remember wading down the creek one afternoon. It was amazing. Little minnows darted every which way, and I even saw a few crayfish. Of course, the spiders that had built their webs across the creek from the tree branches scared me a little (okay, a lot), but it was worth it. Further down the creek, after a few bends, I even got to see some fish, and when I stood still for a while, they started to swim around my legs.
I always love bonding with nature. Doing that is a refresher to the soul. It always leaves me feeling happy and calm. So while I do appreciate science, and while I do also love computers and the awesomeness of the Internet, nature will always be something special in my heart.
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