Audrey Shoop- Lion's Bridge Journal
I thoroughly enjoyed being able to have a class outdoors exploring nature. Growing up, I spent a lot of time in nature because of my parents' influence. We went hiking and exploring in nature often. My mom always encouraged me to be fully present and to fully observe my surroundings so this exercise was not new to me. Even still, I spend ample amount of time outside. Nature is what truly grounds me.
While out on the Noland trail, I was observing most everything around me. A few things, however, showed themselves to be more prominent in my mind. The smell of the salty air is something I have always had a positive association with. The salt stings your nose in such a familiar way. It makes me think of just how vast the oceans really are. I also found myself focused on the ground. Most of the time, the ground is overlooked. People simply think of it as the place their feet travel upon. But as I looked at the ground, I noticed life. Tiny plants of all shades, little critters crawling around doing their habitual chores. Even the unalive things were intriguing. There were pine needles the color of amber and leaves that crunched under our feet. But my favorite of the ground dwellings will always be the rocks.
I've always been fascinated by rocks. As a child, wherever we went, I would come home with pockets full of rocks. I would pick my favorites and stored them individually wrapped with my favorite fabrics in a tin coffee can. Although I try not to keep too many anymore, I often find myself picking up a few and carrying them with me. While out on the trail, I picked up quite a few. Before we left the trail, I gave most of them back to mother earth, but I just couldn't part with two of them. One a cloudy quartz and agate that reminded me of a frothy carbonated drink, and the other a pudding stone, full of little holes and tiny stones.
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