Many people who think of camping have one question: why?

Why in goodness gracious would anyone subject themselves willingly to mother nature's wrath, angry Winnie The Pooh (bears), poops in the forest, sleeping in a tent, ramen noodles (so much ramen noodles) and worst of all, soggy socks?

I'm that guy. Throughout my life, I have camped tons in the Adirondacks, Tetons, Yellowstone, and this summer in Garibaldi and Glacier National Park. Particularly on days where it's pouring rain and my recently discovered non-waterproof tent lets it leak through creating a natural version of Chinese water torture, I think: why do I enjoy camping in nature so much?

After some thought, I've come to three reasons why I and I think everyone else should open themselves to nature's heart every now and again: stillness, simplicity, and the sublime.

Stillness

Most of our lives are filled with constant noise from traffic, other people, and our own thoughts. It's like we're living inside a blender--and we didn't cut the chunks small enough. In nature, however, not a crane can be heard, not a skyscraper can be seen, not a McDonalds can be smelled.

Usually all I can hear while hiking is the rhythmic thunk, thunk, thunk of my boots hitting the ground and the occasional bird. The music of nature as I call it.

In this stillness one's thoughts can run free as a wild horse.

One of my favorite moments of stillness came sitting with my dad on Providential Ridge in Geribaldi National Park. Thousands of feet below us, we could see the crystal lake where we camped; surrounding it were white-topped mountains iced in vanilla cream. We carved out a marshmallow bed in the snow and melted backward to gaze at the view. It was so quiet we might as well have been in space.

Providential Ridge in Garibaldi Park.

This stillness opened me up to thinking about the future without the chaos of everyday waking life. I came to a few realizations.

First, I want to prioritize activities that build connections with others.

As I've grown older, I've noticed the experiences and achievements that stick with me tend to involve other people. So in the future, I'm going to spend more time and effort fostering connection through writing—talking about it and sharing it with others, reading, my writing and reading club, social video/board/card games, socializing through meals, novel adventures like camping, and more.

Secondly, I want to grow my spiritual practice through meditation, yoga, and psychedelics.

I've been meditating and doing yoga for over three years. But this last year, in particular, I've started experimenting with drugs (practicing utmost care and safety) with the intention of spiritual growth, like mushrooms, MDMA, and weed. I've had some of my most profound realizations and experiences while on these drugs, and I want to explore more of what they have to offer in the future.

Finally, I don't want to be addicted to anything.

Being in nature for so long has taken me away from many of the small addictions I have in regular life like coffee, diet soda, and sugary desserts. I feel autonomous, awake, alive! In the future, I'd like to stick to one or two small cups of black coffee a day, no or minimal diet soda, and sugary desserts only in small portions every now and then.

These three realizations were possible, predominantly because of the reflective stillness nature provides. If I were in a bustling city, they would have been harder to make.

Simplicity

Normal life can be ridiculously complex.

What career should I pursue? Who should I be friends with? Why do we shower after swimming?

In comparison, camping life is more straightforward than a ruler. My regular camping routine involves waking up, packing my tent, cooking breakfast, cleaning, hiking, pondering some random existential question my brain comes up with, eating lunch, hiking, setting up tent, cooking dinner, and hitting the hog. Did I mention there is no access to the Internet, minimal books, and, worst of all, no video games?

Me getting ready to pack up the tent in Garibaldi.

It's wonderful.

I've been stuck in do mode for most of my life. One doesn't get into Cornell University without being somewhat obsessed with productivity. I don't say this to brag—it was a problem. When I first came to college, I tried squeezing every minute of every day like a dirty sponge (without using soap).

This left me rigid, estranged from some of my deepest relationships, and yet, still dissatisfied with how much I could get done.

Here's the problem: the more you regularly do, the more you expect yourself to do. The more you expect yourself to do, the worse you feel when you don't meet this expectation.

Constant do mode is a losing game. Nature, in contrast, puts me into be mode. I can't maximize my productivity--there's only so fast you can pack up a tent. I spend hundreds of hours just walking—perhaps thinking—but usually just existing.

It's made me realize something: we are human beings, not human doings.

We aren't on this planet to optimize our time sitting at a desk. We're here to connect with others in the little time we have to relish this thing called life.

When back in society, I will still do a lot because I love doing. But I'm better at allowing myself to simply be as well. To gaze off into the sunset, or talk to a friend, or literally sit doing nothing because I want to.

Sublime

Nature touches a primordial part of us that must come from our days of picking berries and chasing meat.

It touches us with the sublime. I felt the sublime while feeding birds with my dad in Geribaldi Park (don't tell anyone you're not supposed to).

I felt it at the top of Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks with my brother and friend Brice.

And I felt it while gazing over Swiftcurrent Pass in Glacier which remains the best view I have ever seen.

Touching the sublime makes us more vulnerable.

My dad told me things he had never been as open to sharing before. He told me that as he gets older, he's struggling to retain his energy and zest. My friend Fionn told me about his relationship struggles with some friends. And I talked about my financial insecurities for the future, being in the first generation that's worse off than their parents at the same age.

The sublime also taps us into our innate empathy and kindness.

In nature, I think you generalize people less. You don't see people—you see blacks and whites, Christians and Jews, men and women—you see individuals. On one of our days in Garibaldi Park, my dad and I gave up the best shelter campsite with a cooking station and everything to another group of four campers because they were only there for one night, and there were more of them. One day, while cooking breakfast in the backcountry with Fionn, we gave one of our pancakes to a young child who was complaining to her mom how hungry she was because she forgot to bring the PB&J. At backcountry campsites, I start conversations with strangers I never would in a city.

Of course, city life has its own allures. My brother spent this summer studying acting in NYC for a month. But I struggle to find the 3 S's whenever I'm in a city. Whenever I want them, I go to nature.

Nature In The Future

I don't know what the future holds for me. I could become a content creator full time, a psychologist, or something I can't even imagine. Life can be so incredibly complex it's hard to know.

One thing I know for certain, however, is that whatever I do, nature will continue to play a role in my life. I'm already thinking of trips to go on with friends and my family in the future. Whatever the case, I'll be having a good time regardless.

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