on solitude and nature

I just posted this on my other blog, but I think it's worth posting here too. This trip is about learning more about the Civil War and about exploring a small piece of the American South, but it's about something else too. I think these words, written by an Arctic explorer named Børge Ousland, say it best. I've edited it down a bit for the sake of length.

I often use nature as a form of meditation; or in other words, to set the counter back to zero in order to get more vitality and energy.

Nature gives me a sanctuary where I can collect my thoughts.

Jan Frode expresses in words how important outdoor life and physical activity is for mental health, especially for people struggling to overcome fear or depression.

I do not venture outdoors to find solutions to problems or to mull over things. On the contrary, that would be the wrong focus. When the objective of the trip is relaxation, inner peace and balance, the secret is to think about as little as possible. Instead I will concentrate on what I experience around me such as colors, forms, smells, sounds and animal life. I often walk away from the trail, use all my senses and absorb what I am experiencing. I like to call it a “fill up.”

...It is common sense not to go alone on treks in the mountains. This is understandable since there would not be anyone there to help if an accident should happen. However, to place yourself in a vulnerable position where everything depends on you and your own choices can also be valuable. You can get a better dialog with nature when nobody else is there and therefore also a better dialog with yourself.

...Prepare yourself, buy suitable maps, make a plan and then follow it. Visit new places and gradually increase the distance covered for each trip. Don’t think too far ahead in time. Make short-term goals, concentrate on simple things at start and take it from there. Perhaps you should take a friend with you, but don’t be afraid to go alone. Ghosts are in the city, not in nature.

...The strong sides of a person are cultivated in our society and it is easy to forget that humans have both strong and weak sides. This is what makes us whole humans and the two sides should be in balance and harmony with each other. Here is where nature can be of help. I am quite certain that if mental health treatments in this country consisted of more hikes, more wood chopping and less popping of pills, many patients would often have different and much better days.

Greetings from Børge.