Nature Journal #4 - Overton Park

September 19, 2017

               Because of the severe hot weather, unfortunately I was not able to attend class. If I sit out in the sun for too long without any sort of relief, my symptoms can really flare up. However, I was able to read excerpts from Thoreau and Nash, even if I was not able to discuss the author’s concepts with my classmates. What I found most interesting was the readings from Nash. He uses multiple examples to show of timeline of how Americans perspectives’ of nature have changed. One of the examples that I found to be a bit odd but amusing was the story about the lawyer, Estwick Evans. Evans woke up one morning and decided to leave his life behind in New Hampshire and began heading West in order to find his true self in primitivism in a buffalo robe with bearskin trimming, deer moccasins, and in the company of his two beloved dogs. He writes in his journal that he was able to find peace in solitude, and that he felt a spiritual connection to nature. Evans, as Nash states, was one of the first to implore the idea that nature can be positively associated with religion.

               I believe in modern Christianity that a lot of Christians forge a relationship with God through solitude, and most definitely through solitude in nature. This summer, I was able to travel to Switzerland with just my dad. One of the many beautiful places we stayed at was located on Lake Lucerne in Vitznau. Firstly, the Swiss have remarkable cleaning practices. When you are driving on the highway, there is not a single piece of trash on the side of the roads. Swiss society expects you to keep all of your trash in your vehicles so you can take it home and throw it in your own trash bin. This same expectation comes with boating on Lake Lucerne. The lake and its shores are pristine. When it was a hot day out for Swiss standards, I decided to venture out onto the lake on a paddle board. It was a Monday afternoon, so there were virtually no boats out on the lake. The lake was pretty frigid since it is a glacial lake, but the water clarity is almost unrealistic. The water had the most beautiful bluish-green tint, and I could see for hundreds of feet down. Once I paddled away from the hotel shores, the world became quiet, and all I could hear was my paddle swishing through the water, and waves lapping up against my board. In that moment, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the lake and the mountains surrounding it. I was also just so grateful for the experience and memories I was making with my dad. The amazing part was that I was experiencing the handiwork of the Lord in a personal way. It was a definite spiritual moment for me because the God who created the most picturesque places in the world loves me and wants to have a relationship with me! I think I paddled for at least for 45 more minutes, just sitting in awe. The whole country of Switzerland is so remarkably beautiful, and I cannot wait to go back one day. Maybe Nash should write from the perspective of the Swiss.