Stepping outside of the influence of society, if for only a brief moment, is perhaps the most liberating sensation I have ever experienced, and I cherish those rare moments I get spend alone, finally able to enjoy my own thoughts without distraction. Once I enter the seclusion of the tree line, I have stepped into a completely different world, one tranquil and yet still so full of life. Time slows to a steady pulse under the ceiling of trees , as the water bubbling over rocks scattered across the creek bed washes away hours of stress in a matter of seconds, as if it hadn’t existed at all.

The simple beauty of sunlight filtering through the remaining leaves clinging to their branches breathtaking, every surviving leaf a blessing as it clings onto otherwise bare branches, desperately resisting the devastating force of winter, until finally falling victim to the frost and beginning the long descent to the earth’s surface. Simply sitting under a tree has an extremely calming effect on my demeanor, the distance from civilization affording me a, however brief, reprieve from the anxiety and obligations that are otherwise suffocating. The way the bark of the trunk is rough and comforting on my back is something that can not be replicated or manufactured, just as the unique texture of natural earth and dirt can not be replaced by astroturf or plastics. The air itself smells of frost and has a brisk, clear quality to it normally masked by the pollution of man made society and technology.

The natural quiet my surroundings in comforting in a way that the deafening silences created by an absence of constant stimulation in the “real world” could never compete with, clearing my head and relieving me of whatever nagging worries may still intrude my thoughts. This beautiful safe haven is my own personal oasis, helping me maintain my sanity in the insanity of society.