Like a Cabin in the Woods

I like to find spots that are far away from it all, little to no traffic coming through by others also seeking solitude, and park for days at a time.  It turns the van into a cabin and the land feels much more like home as I get to know it more closely, seeing it through a variety of mornings and nights.  This spot I’ve been parked in for the past 5 days looks different to me now than it did the day I drove up.  Aside from the subtle shifts, like waking up in a cloud of fog instead of a pink cast of morning light, seeing nobody for several days and then an increase of traffic to mark the weekend, or the sparkle from the stars getting brighter as the shape of the moon gets smaller, I‘m different, too.  

Getting to know nature in these close up ways resets my purpose and my energy.  It humbles me, and the pressure to be doing more or be more fades away into the same purpose that all the other creatures on this earth have…just survive.  And just by eating, sleeping, breathing, taking care of myself, and exploring what’s around me, I become part of Earth’s natural balance…which serves the biggest purpose of all.  By the time I leave, there’s less need to hurry, less need for distractions to keep me busy, less thoughts about myself and more about my surroundings.  That’s when my own skin starts to feel like home - when my senses have gotten bigger, big enough to take in more earth, more wild, and I’m free to unleash my own thoughts and let nature’s plan take over my mind.