High School

I grew up in New Jersey, so we didn’t have much camping there. I do remember, one weekend, a bunch of friends and I drove up to PA to go camping. I don’t really remember much of that first camping trip, but I do know I was a junior in high school. I don’t remember who was in my tent. I don’t remember exactly who was there. What I do remember was the calmness I felt being in the woods. Of hearing nothing but crickets and the birds chirping. Of making s’mores with the people that I do remember being there. And the inside joke of “Hey Pat, remember when you fell?” Because he jumped from one side to another or something and lost his footing and completely fell over. And then making it even funnier by laying there. I even laughed typing it. My point to that mini story is, I remember the tiny details of being surrounded by nature (this was over 20 years ago by the way).  I wish I had some of the pictures. But here’s a picture so you can get the hint that I was NOT an outdoors person.

That was the one and only time we went outdoors. You could have called me “emo” in high school. I wore mostly black band T-shirts, and jeans with a studded belt. My hair was always dyed black, I had side bangs and everything. I was at shows every weekend, showing support for my friends’ bands. I even worked at the music venue that they played at. You know what a huge difference was back then to now, and why my love for nature grew? Back then, I didn’t have as much stress, depression, or anxiety about things that I do now. I didn’t have a child to worry about constantly. I didn’t have all this debt piling up. I just didn’t have any worries.

If you asked me in high school if I was going to be obsessed with the outdoors, my answer would have been “Absolutely not!” But now, it’s the complete opposite. If I could, I’d live in the woods. Now I can’t live without going on a hike at least once a week.