(a small piece of the ANF)
Seeing as how this is my first post, I should begin by saying that I do not actually live in the woods. I live in the Allegheny National Forest which is a little bit bigger than the type of woods you might be thinking of. The ANF covers 513,175 square acres and surrounds the small town that I live in. It is not difficult to imagine how integral the forest is to the type of people who live here and our lifestyle. Every aspect of my life has been influenced by my surroundings; from the way that I have no fear when it comes to rock climbing to the deep appreciation I have for the natural world, the ANF took part in it.
– a nice picture of my family climbing rocks
Most high school students love to go shopping or to the movies on weekends but having a small town in a large forest pushed my friends and I to find other ways to have fun (fun fact: even if we did want to go shopping, Warren, my hometown, does not have a mall) Instead of staying in, it was so easy to go out. Between hiking and biking and campfires, weekends were mostly spent outdoors. Hiking on trails that you practically have to weed-whack your way through and finding places that look like they have been untouched by the human world for the past one hundred years make you realize how small you are as a person and just how powerful nature can be.
Although I have witnessed the destruction that can happen in the natural world, living in the forest has only encouraged my lack of fear. Seeing the forest recover after a tornado or the wildlife coming out of hibernation in the spring brings me a sense of calm that stems from the knowledge that life goes on. Once, while hiking, a three mile trip quickly turned into an eleven mile hike through denser forest than my family had anticipated. Instead of panicking after we had a taken a wrong turn, everyone stayed calm because we were ready for it and willing to adapt to the situation. Every time that I go out to hike my mom reminds me of the hiking 101 rules:
- always keep the people you are with in sight
- carry water and a snack at all times
- wear appropriate hiking attire
Luckily, my father knows most of the trails well and my family was able to find our way back as quickly as possible, while even stumbling upon wild blueberry bushes, but not everyone is as prepared. If I have only learned one thing from sixteen years of living in the woods it is that everything is survivable but it takes preparation and a level head in the face of adversity.
While this blog is not entirely about ways to survive in the forest and many of my later posts will feature quirky local hangouts and activities that only happen in Warren County, it is so important to understand how much everyone living in my hometown appreciates the natural beauty surrounding them. Warren County and our piece of the forest has even been featured as one of the most beautiful but underrated places in America, of which we are incredibly proud!
Olivia,
I loved this little sneak peek into the life that you live! It made me excited to hear about more of the adventures that you encounter in the ANF. It felt like a personal field journal of Warren almost! The personal elements about the tips your mom gives about hiking and the activities your friends do developed your voice in a nice way too.
Some questions that I want answered in future posts are about the details of the land and the nature itself. I want more vivid description of the trees and rocks and emotions you feel while being surrounded by them. When you got lost, what did you notice about the land? What is the most beautiful thing you’ve experienced out in nature? What makes Warren different than any other rural/forest-y place? As a certified city girl, I want to know how your life is different than mine in the small detailed quirky ways that you hint at in this post. The pictures are a great touch by the way and I liked the personal voice you brought to it!
Awesome passion blog! It is so cool to get a glimpse into what it is like to live in such a small and unique town that is surrounded by a forest big enough to have a name like the Allegheny National Forest! I grew up in the suburbs and do not know what it is like to have opportunities to go hiking in my backyard or have such a beautiful nature scene so close to home. In your future blogs, I definitely want to hear more about activities you do on the weekends because your home situation is so different from mine!
-Quinn
Olivia,
I loved reading this blog and it was interesting to hear about your love of nature. I like nature as much as the next guy, but I certainly would not have handled getting lost and hiking an extra eleven miles very well at all. It would be interesting to learn in future blog posts about how your town’s relative isolation has formed your communal identity or impacted your world views. I come from a larger town than yours, so it would be helpful to me to learn how life in a small town has impacted your life, and how your experience at college is different from your childhood community. Overall, this was a really fun read- I can’t wait for the next one!