Day 11 of #MyEDSChallenge … nature/environment


I am a city kid through and through! When I was younger my dad would take my sister and me camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. I absolutely loved those trips, although maybe more because we finally got a bit of workaholic dad’s attention more than because I love camping.

I’ve tried camping as an adult and just don’t love it. I don’t sleep well on the lumpy, hard ground (no matter how many little mats I use), and I really, really, really dislike bugs. Having nowhere to sit without pain is also a no-go.

I’m also not a big hiker, despite the pictures I showed a few days ago. It’s so treacherous for my ankles (even in boots!), knees, and back, and I tend to be so tired by the time I reach the summit/woodland destination that I really don’t enjoy it. I’ve gone on hikes with friends because I wanted to like it, and I wanted to be “cool” like them. From 2002-2005 I lived in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and from 2005-2008 I lived in Zurich, Switzerland, so I had a lot of opportunities to try hiking, but one of my biggest gifts to myself is to admit I just don’t like it!

I spent my formative years (4-11?) in Minnesota, so for me a huge horizon stretching out in all directions makes me much happier than perching on a knife edge summit or feeling a bit trapped at the edge of the ocean (can’t walk *that* direction!). 

I particularly love the sound of running water, so sitting in the shade near a creek or small river makes me incredibly happy. See what I did there? Shade to avoid overheating in the sun, sitting (in a chair) to minimize pain and fatigue, and focusing on the sensory aspects I enjoy (burbling water sounds).

I also love urban nature. My favorite grandmother always used to point out the flowering trees or birds outside her window, and I could see how carefully she cultivated a sense of joy and delight in these small offerings of nature, even in the midst of a city. The apartment I’m in now has a “sun room” (it used to be a porch and the owner converted it to an indoor room with windows on 3 sides), and it’s my favorite place to be. We are on the second floor, surrounded by trees, so I feel like I’m living in a treehouse!! There are so many birds and squirrels and chipmunks and I just love watching them do their bird and squirrel things out the window. I love seeing the trees develop buds in spring, then flower (we have so many flowering trees in my neighborhood), then change color in the fall, and then go dormant in winter. 

I enjoy things most from inside, with the window open if the weather allows. I can sit in a chair that’s comfortable and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the plants and animals living nearby, or the sound of rain hammering down on the roof. But, being indoors means I can better regulate my temperature, sit comfortably, and am not bothered by bugs (I seem to be extra-delicious to the mosquitos). 

I love all the different kinds of precipitation, and for a long time I would dart outside with my “precip board” to identify what kind of precipitation was happening (a habit learned when I was a weather observer on Mount Washington). A precip board is just a small board covered in black felt with a ruler glued on: the board isn’t as warm as a hand, so the frozen precipitation won’t melt as quickly so there’s time to identify the structure and size (https://www.weather.gov/grb/typesofwinterwx). 

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