Journal Entry #8


Every year during the Summer, I go up to a little town in Illinois and spend a couple weeks with my family in a cabin on the lake. The weeks are filled with fishing, horseback riding, long walks and catching fire flies with little cousins at night. The cell service is limited, and I don’t bring any work to do or things to complete. It’s within those weeks that I feel my most center and at peace with the world around. My favorite part of the trip is always the horseback riding. Despite the stereotypes that come along with living in Texas, horseback riding is not a norm in my daily or even monthly routine. However, it is something that I enjoy doing that lets me disconnect and recharge. Some think that horses at the stable are large and intimidating, however I find them calming and soothing. They are the gentlest animals I’ve ever interacted with; even more so than my own dogs sometimes. Additionally, there is an immediate sense of respect that comes along with them. We take them out for trail rides for hours at a time; exploring new creeks and paths that we haven’t taken yet. The inner explore comes out in everyone during the trail rides; constantly looking for new routes or places to go. With no maps or cellphones with us, it requires us to be aware of our surrounding environment and actively acknowledge all that is around us. This is a feeling that we seldom have in our daily lives. Constantly having a GPS or a route to follow, we limit ourselves from daily exploration which further distances us from nature.

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