THURSDAY - Commonplace Writing

9/17/09

I miss the mountains -- the cool breeze, the smell of the trees, the sound of the rushing water, the clarity that only being away from the din of electronics can give you. I miss the solitude amongst the grandeur of nature and the soothing aspect it has on my body, mind and spirit.

I grew up camping and hiking and have seen and stayed at almost every campground, overflow campground, and national park on the west coast. It's something that is part of my culture and I started when I was just a little person. These days when weekends are usually filled with chores, bills, and other things, I miss sitting around the campfire with my family, learning to play cards, to tend a fire, to sip hot chocolate (and later coffee) without melting the cup. The many ranger talks and ranger walks are but a memory.