I couldn’t help myself; I was frozen. The sight before me had me in a state of awe. I stood there without blinking just taking in the whole scene.As the refreshing mist continued to bead down my face in the cool afternoon of September. I was mesmerized by what lay before my feet.

A quick ten-minute hike had brought us to the beautiful natural wonder that Hocking Hills State Park had to offer. A water stream had cut its way through the natural rock to create a very green little canyon. Everywhere you looked there were trees growing on the sides of boulders. Every single boulder was covered with moss. We followed the trails of stone bridges and old wooden walkways that had been there what seemed like hundreds of years. The path lead to a tunnel carved into the rock. The only light that streamed through came from light holes on the side of the tunnel. We walked through the moist tunnel with a slight paranoia of the unknown. After going down about fifty steps we came out of the tunnel untouched.

Now the obstacle we had to face was a very large ascend up a rather steep grade, but we could hear the falling water, so we hurried. On the other side of the climb was a proud little waterfall. There wasn’t much water in the stream it was about half a foot deep and the current wasn’t strong, so the fall was very gentle. The scene was breathtaking.

This was the first stop in a weeklong camping road trip that my girlfriend and I had ventured off to. Every day we would drive to a new State Park to camp for the night. The next morning, we would see the sights the place had to offer. Our road trip led us all the way to Myrtle Beach South Carolina. There we rented a cabin. This was one of the best moves we pulled because the mosquitoes were out in full force. 

This whole trip was so I could spread my mother’s ashes. One thing she had always told me was that she wanted her ashes to be spread out in the ocean. She had never had the chance to be at the ocean in her lifetime. Now she was there to rest.

During this trip I learned a lot about my girlfriend and myself. Taking this road trip where there was no escape from each other you develop a deeper bond. There’s no computers or television to distract you from the person in front of you. Going out into nature reveals the real you. It brings you back to your core. 

Go out into nature, listen to the trees sway in the wind. Swim in the ocean. Go out into the wild and wash the civilized worlds smog off of you. I promise that when you reenter the world your mind will be a lot calmer than it was when you stepped in. Don’t be scared to find yourself.

 Carl                                 
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