Pause and think for a second — when do you feel most like yourself?
I feel most at home in the bush, surrounded by imposing peaks and steep ravines. I feel free when I throw on my camo, put my bow over my shoulder and go on the hunt for food. At the end of the day, I can sit in front of the fire either alone or with company and feel at peace.
My mind is still.
I don’t get that in my day-to-day life. I can work hard, I can be productive, I can bust myself all day, and yet, at the end of the day when it’s time to unwind I find my mind going a million miles an hour. I find myself checking my phone for ghost notifications. Scrolling. Googling inane subjects, whittling down the time before I go to bed.
Obviously, you aren’t me, but here’s my argument: everyone needs a bit of the wild, a reset, and they need it more than they think.
One of the joys of my life is taking people from the city camping, helping them set up their tent or swag, getting a fire started and introducing them to the outdoors.
Some people love art, or architecture, nice dresses, suits or fancy food. Everyone appreciates Mother Nature. When we walk through the bush, I’ll hear ‘how great is this’, and smile. No matter who you are, you’re home.
The stars. After years in the city, watching someone’s face light up as they stare up at the Milky Way, feeling so small, so whole.
I’ll set up the chairs with our backs to the fire so that we keep warm and not let the fire impede our vision of the spectacle above.
When you escape the city lights, the hustle and bustle, the constant racket of humanity and find relief in the bush, you slow down and watch the greatest show from Earth, as the stars slowly slide by. As you’re eyes begin to adjust, you realise that the more you look, the more specks there are above you.
When a guest from the city heads home, they’re wrapped. The time spent sleeping on the ground, walking through the bush, getting back to basics has given them a fresh perspective. They feel a refreshed beyond what their every day life can give them. The detox from technology and the little bit of rewilding has renewed their energy like only Mother Nature can.
They may not have slept the greatest, they may have walked more than they have in years and they may have eaten more basic than they can ever remember.
And all they talk about is doing it all over again.
Previously Published on substack
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