Henry Thoreau believed life should be as simple as possible. In this day and age leading a “simple” life is almost impossible. We are so used to having luxuries and living in abundance that we forget to take a good look around us. The beauty of nature still remains; it is just not as credited as it once was. With our abundant cities and fast-moving life, it becomes difficult to take time out in order to appreciate not the world moving around us but the world we first built our civilization around.

I took time over this weekend to really take a look at nature. When I was younger I used to practically live outdoors; I never wanted to come inside. I decided I wanted to get back in touch with these roots and spend most of my weekend outside. After all, in Walden, or Life in the Woods, Thoreau lives in isolation away from what he calls “the perennial source of our life” or in clustered cities with men and business all around. It is here, he believes, that one can find their true meaning and do their deepest thinking.

I spent all of Friday night in my backyard. As I lay in the grass looking up at the stars, I realized that Thoreau was onto something. While in solitude with nature surrounding me, I found myself focusing on the larger picture. My mind was no longer busy with all the little things, I forgot about school, volleyball, the pointless drama between friends and started thinking far more philosophically: What is existence? What does life really mean? What is my purpose?

Having taken this outward glance on the world, I did not want to come back into my daily routine of being trapped indoors with artificial light when the real source of it all was just right outside my door. Saturday I went to Morrow’s Meadow, a park in Yorktown. I sat on a bench by the river and stared at all I was encompassed in. In the peace of the day it is easy to hear the sounds of nature: the songs of the birds, the flow of the river, the trees whistling in the wind. I wanted to not just stare but take in my surroundings. I guess I never really took the time to see the splendor of it all. But as I sat there on the bench with my eyes and ears opened wide, I began to appreciate the loveliness.

Something this weekend has taught me is that there is a world outside of our own. Nature is a world in itself that grows, lives, and prospers just as we do. It is magnificent to see how it is seemingly parallel to our lives with the strengths, weaknesses, struggles and beauty that take part in our own lives.

Like Thoreau, every man, woman, and child at some point in their lifetime need to experience the solitude and nature that he did. Living by himself in the heart of Earth, Thoreau realized his meaning in life while appreciating the start of it all. Our species began by thriving with nature, now we are thriving while destroying it. It is important for every human to take time out of their busy schedule to once again recognize what has gotten us to where we are and take a break from the little things to see the wonderful world shining in its light.