To me nature is the greatest classroom that anyone can learn from, the lessons to be gained are endless and full of opportunities for personal growth and development. I want to share my personal story and begin by saying that as a kid born in one of the largest cities on earth, Manhattan, I had never been to a green area bigger than central park. I never really understood how much I had been missing out on the beautiful vibes of the outdoors. Then I moved down south to Florida where I got a taste for larger areas of wilderness and beautiful beaches. This is when I really began going hiking and camping for the first time.

​

One of the first lessons I learned was when I saw the high degree to which most humans are dependent on the luxuries of modern society. For example, on one of my first treks with a few best friends, I failed to bring enough food for the entire trail and no one else had enough extra food to share so I was basically shit out of luck. But the benefit was that I came to clearly see how little appreciation I showed my accessibility to food and essential nutrients. I had never been in a situation where I became hungry but could not satisfy my hunger.

 

This situation was crazy to me and caused a considerable amount of anxiety while on the trail. Luckily It turned out that one of my bros found a few extra granola bars at the bottom of his bag. You should've seen the look on my face after he said that, the feeling was better than hitting the lottery. Most most importantly it was a huge eye-opener and made me understand that I've been taking many important things in my life for granted.

 
My lifestyle back home allows me to live comfortably and gives me many luxuries that I never really paid any attention to such as instant access to food and water.  As an avid traveler it made me think of people all across the world that are less fortunate than myself and may not be able to have the same ease of access. It made me ponder so many deep and important issues in life but these lessons were all needed and very healthy for my spiritual journey in life. All in all, this hike made me understand how truly lucky I am and has helped make my life more fulfilling because I am more grateful than ever before.

​