A Breath of Fresh Air: Introduction
“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”
― John Muir
From when I was born until I left home for Lawrence University, I lived in a rural area outside of Madison, Wisconsin. It was a big transition to go from living across from a cornfield and down the road from dairy farms to a place with a Walgreens within walking distance. Although I love the city, being in the woods or by the water and seeing wildlife brings me a feeling of peace that is hard to find elsewhere.
From day one, my parents instilled in me an appreciation for the outdoors. My dad, an avid fisherman and bowhunter, is the kind of guy who can fish for hours, catch nothing and feel completely content just to be out on the lake. My mom, a painter, also loves to spend time outdoors and gets a lot of her inspiration from wildlife. As a family, we spent many summers up north at our cabin in the woods and on the lake. It was not uncommon to find me and my brothers outside on a summer day looking under rocks for toads and snakes.
Me and my brothers, full of glee after catching a garden snake at our cabin in Boulder Junction, WI.
Now that I am away from home at school and working, it can be easy to get caught up juggling social activities, work and other adult responsibilities. I often find myself forgetting to take a moment to relax and get away from it all. Taking in the fresh air and spending some time outdoors, away from the chaos, can be a great way to do so.
In this blog series, I will be discussing some of the great places in the Fox Cities to get back to nature. Although the Fox Cities may be “cities,” there are plenty of beautiful natural settings at our disposal to explore. There are so many ways to spend time in nature whether it be at your local park, nature preserve or body of water, and you don’t have to roam as far as you might think to see diverse wildlife and quiet forests.
What are some of your favorite ways to spend time outdoors and get back to nature? Let me know in the comments below!
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