When I left there was one thing on my mind : I hoped to get away from the static and sterility that I so often experience in the suburbs which I sadly call home. And if that was my objective, I can honestly say that I achieved it for four days last week. Three friends and I traveled about 6 hours to hike a portion of the Bruce Trail just north of Owen Sound (Northern Ontario). Away from the asphalt, neon signs, cars and air pollution to be submerged into complete naturalness. We walked through the forest with 40 pound packs on our backs carrying only the essentials. We had to deal with the weather by using our own creative minds as opposed to finding shelter from the rain inside a house. We entertained ourselves without help from any type of box you plug into the wall. We witnessed firsthand what it feels like to truly live.

Well, I could describe the events of each day in great detail but I figure that would be pretty boring. Instead, I’ll try to express the highlights our adventure and what made it so special.

Maybe the most memorable part of the trip was the different things we saw. I’ve never been overwhelmed by so much beauty in my life. There are a lot of sights that come to mind but without seeing it for yourself, the same emotion just can’t be captured. We saw incredible views from various cliffs, overlooking thick, dark green forests and turquoise coloured fresh water. We saw amazing rock formations in the middle of the dense woods. We watched numerous sun rises and sets, completely in awe of the colourful sky. We stopped a few times, mid-trail, to see a bright orange salamander nonchalantly making it’s way across our path. We lay on our backs, star-gazing in silence at the speckled sky, marveling at the difference a lack of light pollution makes. During each of these situations I just described, I had a similar feeling. I couldn’t help but feel insignificant. When I looked at myself in whole scheme of things, as just a self-consumed 17 year old kid, I felt so petty. At the same time, though, I felt a wave of relief. All my anxiety about life in general seemed to wash off me. When it comes down to it, we are such minuscule beings when compared to the world that surrounds us. Even smaller are the petty issues that we sometimes get so hung up on. This is not meant to sound like I believe I have no impact on my environment but more like a realization that we all waste so much of our precious time on such trivial matters when could be truly enjoying life. In the face of such perfection, when that weight has been lifted from your shoulders, all you can do is smile.

I will never forget some of the conversations we had. While walking through the forest, you have a lot of time to think and talk. We discussed everything from religion to masturbation. I learned so much more about my friends and myself. I heard many different perspectives and either agreed or didn’t but either way it was beneficial. By listening to other peoples’ opinions I could strengthen my own.

I think I had the most fun on the 3rd day. It was overcast for the majority of the day so we wanted to get to our destination as quickly as possible to set up tent to avoid getting too wet. When we arrived we discovered that the beach we planned to sleep on was cobblestones instead of nice soft sand which we were expecting. After a little deliberating we decided to try to make our own little shelter instead of going back up the trail and searching for a place to sleep in the forest. We first needed to look for a location for our project which we found under a few fallen tree trunks and huge boulder. We created a floor by arranging the flat rocks underneath the trees and then draped our tarp and tent fly across the two tree trunks to protect ourselves from the rain. We used a variety of materials to keep the fort together : rope, string, safety pins, twigs, a bowl and a lot of perseverance. Together, we created a shelter that sustained 3 wild thunder storms over the course of twelve hours. That’s what was so inspiring and fun about the experience - the togetherness. Without any one of us the “tent” would not have been the same. We all brought our own ideas and strengths together and were able to utilize them well. I jokingly remarked that it was our own idea of anarchy in action. And it’s true. We worked together in solidarity lacking any hierarchical structure. It was very refreshing and rewarding at the same time. To see our creation withstand such adversity was such a thrill. And to find new ways to live out your ideas is always very exciting.

“Natural phenomenon become commodities.” This revelation was probably the only negative aspect of our trip. Geoff made this remark after we went to explore a series of caves and discovered that there was an admission charge. I thought it was very sad that people could manipulate nature the way they were doing. On a different occasion, we saw an electric fence dividing the trail from a cow pasture. Things like this seem like such violations of the purity that nature embodies.

Throughout the whole trip I constantly had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind. I kept telling myself to remember. To remember all that I was experiencing so that I could carry it with me while I go through the motions of everyday life. I didn’t want to lose sight of the inspiration that I was being flooded with. And although I do have pictures and friends to help me, I still need to strive to keep this experience alive in my mind. I don’t want to forget what it feels like to sit in an open field, staring into the horizon at the sun setting, and feeling the passion and creativity surge through my veins. I don’t want to forget what it feels like to sit on a rocky cliff, with my two best friends, in silence, just content to absorb the energy that surrounds us. I don’t want to let go of any of this because the fact that I know such beauty is out there is enough to keep me going, living. It’s enough to make me want to get up in the morning and breath. Enough to make me want to resist every force that tries to take that nature away. Enough to fight, with every ounce of vigor I hold, against the corporations that would clear cut those forests and profit off of the virtue of the land’s resources if we let them. I can’t let that happen. I won’t allow the asphalt to spread any further and infect the life that it covers. I question how can anyone remove themselves from the equation? The fact that every one of your actions has an incredible affect on your environment is an undeniable one. If you try to escape that balance, you will inevitably see the repercussions.

“Face the truth: man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it - whatever he does to web he does to himself...” -Trial

On the other hand, if you make a conscious effort to try to live healthily in that balance, you will feel the rewards. (I don’t mean to say that if you practice veganism that you will see the end of the slaughter and oppression of animals everywhere but if you remove yourself as much as possible from the system that does so much damage, you will hear the beautiful sound of liberation.)