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We’ve all felt the outdoors beckoning. Weeks in an office, stuck in traffic on the way to work, surrounded by sirens and car horns. We all feel the need to get out and back to the simplicity of nature. Sometimes, spending a few days out in the woods is just what the doctor ordered.
There’s any number of reasons to take that off-the-grid vacation, but here are a few of the most compelling ones that should convince you to dig out your tent and backpack.
Escape Technology
Technology makes life easier — or so we’re told. The truth is that it can be extremely helpful in the right situation but can also wear on you over time. For many of us, our phones and computers tend to rule our everyday life. It gets to the point that we’re checking our phones every couple of minutes, so much that it becomes a reflex similar to blinking or swallowing. Getting away from your phone and computer is a simple necessity from time to time.
The woods offer the perfect opportunity for this. Not only are cell reception and internet naturally limited, but the isolation from regular technology triggers — offices full of computers, co-workers and friends checking their phones and similar situations — helps keep us from feeling stressed or worried.
Brush up on Survival
The woods are also a perfect testing ground for your new survival skills. Taking just a little bit of time to learn how to pitch a tent, build a fire or craft the perfect s’more can be surprisingly fulfilling. It’s amazing how enjoyable simple and natural human activity can be, especially when it’s isolated from regular society and necessary for your survival and enjoyment. Surviving a week in the woods leaves anyone with a shine when they get back to the office.
Reconnect With Nature
There’s also something inherently calming when you step out of a crowded, busy life and into the simple beauty of nature. Waking up early to see the sun rise over the mountains, falling asleep once your fire burns low, surrounding yourself with fresh air and silence — the woods have a sort of indescribable serenity that’s good for you, including your mind, body and soul.
You’ll be surprised how calming it is to sit at your campsite reading a book by the light of a lantern. If you go backpacking, the immersion into nature will be even more intense — you’ll have plenty of time to sort through your thoughts and marvel at your surroundings.
One Week
A week is a pretty short period of time. One week at work goes by in a flash, the days running one into the next. However, a week in the woods can provide a remarkable amount of improvement for a cluttered, busy mind. Taking a week to reconnect with nature, return to our survivalist roots and ditch the cell phone is exactly what many of us need. Take your week, and you’ll be surprised how energized and relaxed you feel after.
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Photo provided by the author.