Natural Setting 1. A World of Freedom

One great thing about getting to hike the Appalachian Trail was getting to be completely away from any form of cavitation and being surrounded by nature. It was a place where I could dwell with the Lord and not be distracted by anything else; no phone, computer, TV, nothing. I had missed the escape that being there gave me and was in search of some place that could simulate a parallel experience to that of the AT. Naturally, being in Newport News, I went to the James River for starters. I sat there for a few minutes and after about three cars driving passed me I realized this was not what I was looking for. I then went biking around, looking for some plaza that could just free my mind of civilization; I was craving a sense of freedom in which I could be out of the “market place.” In Wilderness as Axis Mundi: Spiritual Journeys on the Appalachian Trail (2009), Kip Redick states that journeys into wilderness can help “center our focus.” I love that quote because I think it speaks for every person living. You see, we become so caught up in the market place, so caught up in all of the pressures that life bring us, that we forget to really focus on life ourselves. The freedom that I was craving was a sensation of desiring a chance to refocus on my life, to zone in on where I am on my journey. After biking around for so long I decided to give up and pulled into my driveway. All of the sudden I had a crazy idea of thinking about going into the woods across my street and exploring. I walked into those woods and didn’t stop until it felt right, I travelled deep inside. Then, out of nowhere, I realized I had discovered a new world. One that allowed me to be free of the market place, of civilization, of pressure. I felt free. The feeling immediately took me back to the AT and I remembered how free I was of time. When in school time always felt so important; in fact, whenever I had free time I felt like I had to be in the library doing something so I didn’t waste any time… I felt as though I HAD to be productive or I wouldn’t be successful. When I was on the trail all of that crumbled and I felt free. In these woods I had that feeling again. This place I discovered was sacred to me. I sat in the woods and just listened to all of the nature around me. I felt as though I had discovered my own version of C.S. Lewis’ Narnia. I had kept walking through the woods and suddenly ended up into this place of complete and utter stillness. In that moment I did nothing but laid in the stillness of time; I was free again.