My Happy Place

                I have a specific place in nature that brings me the upmost sense of peace in the world. This place is Meridian, Texas, the small middle-of-nowhere town where the camp I work at is located. I have worked on the staff of Camp John Marc for the past two summers and continue to work for them during a few of their weekend camps in the fall and spring. The campgrounds are approximately 215 acres that encompass a large horse pasture for about fifteen horses, a synthetic lake, a stargazing platform, campfire sites, hammocks, covered wagons, and many other things to create an environment that helps kids experience nature for the first time. Being at camp is like being in a bubble where you are protected from any stress or worry caused by your busy life. When our class was reading about the wilderness philosophies of Thoreau, Abbey, and Leopold, I could not help but think about the way being at camp makes me feel and how similar their feelings in the wilderness were to mine.

                A fun fact about camp is that is was created “dark by design,” which means there are few lights on paths or on the outside of buildings. Because of this design choice, you can often see the seemingly infinite stars of Milky Way galaxy on a clear night. The most recent weekend I worked out at camp was February 28^th- March 2^nd, which was special because on the night of the 28^th a planetary parade was occurring. A planetary parade is when all the seven planets line up while in orbit, with most being visible to the naked eye. Being able to see these planets reminded me of my insignificance, but not in a bad way. Being able to see the planets and stars that exist around us made me think about how microscopic I am in comparison to the universe and how finite my life is when compared to the timeline of the Earth and the greater Universe we exist in. I believe understanding our insignificance better connects us to the wilderness around us because it strips us of the ego, we use to hold ourselves above nature. Additionally, being able to see the stars like this has become a privilege because of the large amount of light pollution in the cities. Many of the people who come out to the campgrounds have never seen more than a few stars in the sky and are typically taken aback by the serenity of the night sky. Having this sacred space and time in nature is something I highly value because of how it teaches me about the world and the way it heals my soul.