“The mountains are calling and I must go” -John Muir
By now, I’m sure that most of us have heard that quote. It has become increasingly popular in the last few years and can be found all over social media, t-shirts, stickers and water bottles. John Muir first said it in a letter he had written home in 1873, but it has gained a lot of traction recently. It’s an interesting one for me because although I have heard it many, many times, I had never really resonated with it until this past fall. You see, for years every time I heard the quote, I immediately thought of snow capped peaks. Ones in which snowboarders flock and avid skiers post up at the base of for days at a time. Don’t get me wrong, I love me a good winter play time involving snow jackets and gloves as much as the next outdoor enthusiast, I have just never felt like blizzard conditions or below freezing temperatures were “my place”.
Green trees are more my thing.
I have friends that roam the world in search of the next snowy peak and thrive on the mountainside. In the same way that other friends feel most alive at the ocean, or those that feel most content in the concrete jungle that is big city life. I understand all of them. I get it, I really do. I know the feeling of being so small and insignificant amidst something so massive and beyond our control, but at the same time channeling its energy to feel more alive and ready to conquer the world than ever. I know because I feel this way when I am among the tall trees.
Walking through greenery is my happy place. If we are ever on a hike or nature adventure together, guaranteed you will catch me taking deep breaths, eyes closed (maybe even arms out or up) taking in my surroundings in the purest, deepest way I know how.
Maybe it’s learned because of my Pacific Northwest, USA roots, maybe it’s a part of my DNA or simply the nature connection I feel when among them, but whatever the reason, green trees are “my place”. Funny, with green trees (especially in the PNW) come many, many tall mountains. I grew up near the base of one of the most famous volcanoes in the world. And, although I have never thought of my woodsy adventures as being mountainous, they very much are. And have always been. In fact, looking back at so many of my travels, I notice a trend of being drawn toward wooded mountains.
So, maybe I do hear the calling of the mountains. They are, and have always been drawing me in to their might and my curiosity answers every time.
Even if mountains aren’t your cuppa*, I strongly urge you to find a quote that you can resonate with. It might take a few tries or looking from a different angle, but once it’s discovered, own it. Because, although our personal stories are best told with our own words, sometimes those that have gone before us have already come up with just the right way to express it.
*The best slang for cup of tea/cup of joe. Thanks, England.
Have you ever read something that truly spoke to your soul? Or gained a new perspective on a quote that helped you connect with it?
