Fresh Air is a Clear Mind by Jane Mientkiewicz
I have always been able to find peace outside. If something is bothering me or I’m having difficulty focusing, I like to take a walk. This appreciation of nature grew through spending time outdoors when I was young and camping with my family. Every summer since I was born, we have gone camping in a provincial park in Ontario near the Georgian Bay. The area is incredibly beautiful, fresh, and simple with four basic elements of dark fresh water in lakes and rivers; gray granite rocks shaped by glaciers; pine trees curved by the wind; and, in summer, clear blue skies reflecting the water below.
Last year was the last summer I’d go camping before I left for school for the first time, as I was changing Penn State campuses from my local branch where I commuted to University Park. I was stressed and afraid of the changes to come and the difference of living away. I’d heard stories from my dad about the mist on the lakes in the morning that rolls off like a carpet, as a result of the temperature change. Finally, on the second to last morning of the trip, while my family was still asleep, I rose to my early alarm, put on my sweatshirt and shoes, grabbed my phone and headphones, and headed for the cliffs on the edge of the lake. I tried to quiet my steps on the gravel road so as not to wake the other campers. Soon I was in the woods and quietly walked the path I knew by heart. When I got to the cliffs, I was amazed. A cloud sat over the water. I could barely see the trees on the shore across the lake, which is only a five minute swim to cross. I began taking picture after picture of the incredible sight. The water was as still as glass, dark against the lights rocks, which seemed to float. I sat on the highest cliff and just watched. I did not listen to music, I did not speak, I just sat and watched. The only noise came faintly from the highway a few miles away and the birds as they woke up and sang. As the day brightened, slowly, the mist began to thin and drift off the edges of the lake. I was completely blown away by the sight. I felt so quiet and still, I couldn’t believe I was a part of this morning, sitting there on the rocks.
I sat for about an hour, and when I finally came back to the campsite, I felt different. There was such calm inside me. The buzz of worry that had been living in my head had left and was replaced by a perfect stillness. It was amazing to feel the change in myself. Now, if I ever feel stressed, I go outside to feel that quiet stillness. It is important to get away from walls and ceilings and traffic and noise once and a while and remember what is around us.