Crisp air cuts into my lungs but leaves me refreshed like the feeling of swallowing a cool mint. My heart’s pace picks up as we reach the steepest part of the hill. Branches and bushes lightly grab and pull at my rustic old cargo pants and loose jacket. Despite dusks slow approaching darkness, autumn’s yellow and orange leaves continue to glow with the last bits of today’s light. The nearly unbearable walk leaves me gasping for air but we finally made it. Our final destination beckons at us through the dense mangled branches of the forest and into a clearing whose location remains a secret kept between the local hikers. We stop, set down the blanket, and find our place atop it. I close my eyes and hone in on the muffled noises of the mountain. I first plainly make out the breathing of my partner and I, but then my ears welcome the sounds of wildlife. I become enveloped with the crackling of newly fallen leaves and distant chirps of crickets who sing their songs of the night. Once I feel lost enough in my surroundings my eyes flick open. I stare up at the sky and hundreds of millions of stars stare back at me. Only a small patch of them are visible to me because of the trees encircling them, but they are no less magnificent. When you find a spot with an altitude like this you realize just how many shooting stars fly through our sky, and how many people will never claim the opportunity to enjoy moments like this. Though I am not a person with any particular faith, I still lay here feeling blessed.

My heart goes out to those moments under the stars in the forest where I feel most at ease. I feel the undeniable connection to the natural world as I rest my body amongst the grass and its inhabitants. As of right now, I know of no other place in the world with the capability of making me feel more at rest than that clearing.