Saturday, July 3, 2010

the wilderness draws me

Well, life is alright. I am unable to do anything about apartments this weekend due to the holiday, so I have a few days of respite. That is a blessing in some ways. I know which apartment I am going to apply for, and I'm just hoping and praying it works out, and that the $45 application fee is not a complete waste. That would stink. Until Tuesday, though, I just chill and try to enjoy life in the present.

The midwest is beautiful. Sometimes (quite often actually) as I drive to or from work, I reflect on the beauty of the plains, and how much I will miss the wide open spaces, the corn fields, the gently rolling hills (if you can call them that). I will miss the violence of life on the plains - the storms and the extreme temperatures. I will miss knowing my place, of feeling like I belong or at least am known. I will miss the sea of green that stretches to the horizon in a carpet of beauty.

Tonight I showed a movie at the park on bird migration. It was basically an hour and a half long movie with very little narration (every 20 minutes or so the narrator would say maybe a few sentences) and a lot of beautiful video photography of birds all over the world. I didn't learn any cool facts, but I was able to witness a huge variety of crazy birds in unadulterated wilderness. It reminded me of Denali National Park in Alaska (easily the wildest, most awe-inspiringly beautiful place I have ever been). I realized how little of the world I have seen - how many wide-open wild places there are. In a weird way, watching these birds flying through untouched wilderness struck an emotional chord with me - I kept thinking about my upcoming move, and how scary it may very well be. I will be surrounded by people in a city where I know no one. I will be alone in a sea of humanity. I might as well be entirely isolated in the deep wilderness. And yet, there is something healing about wilderness, something that cleanses.

Speaking of wilderness, one month from today I will be in the Boundary Waters. I am very excited.

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