Although I wasn’t fortunate enough to attend the Bio Blitz with my Macaulay classmates, I did have the opportunity to spend a weekend outside of Manhattan, my natural habitat, and go camping in upstate New York. This was my first real camping experience and I wasn’t thrilled to say the least. The contrast between the campsite upstate and New York City is slightly more drastic than a visit to Central Park, and I was apprehensive that the adjustment would be more stressful and nerve-wracking than relaxing. But after spending my entire summer roaming the concrete jungle of Manhattan, my friends convinced me that I would finally able to sit back and enjoy a more greener, relaxing and satisfying weekend than I thought.

During the course of our trip, we decided it would be appropriate to avoid using our cellphones and other electronics as much as possible. We also tried to use the natural environment around us to suit some of our needs. Luckily, one of my friends was able to identify several plants and berries that we were able to eat. In this case, I am sure the tools and lessons learned at the Bio Blitz could have helped me better identify plant species (and in hindsight, I wish I would have known about the iNaturalist app!). I realized how little I knew about plants and flowers despite my biology class in high school and I was eager to listen to the tips my friend had. Also, instead of using a barbeque to cook our food, we collected logs and sticks to build ourselves a true campfire.

One of the most rewarding experiences, however, was when we went fishing out on the lake. Ironically, it wasn’t the actual act of fishing or catching the fish that had an impact on me, but rather, it was the time I spent waiting to catch the fish that I found eye-opening. Because I had never gone fishing before, I was a bit nervous, but once I had cast my bait into the lake, I was able to relax and take in my surroundings while I waited for a fish to nibble. It was during those few minutes that I was truly able to appreciate the nature around me. Although I wasn’t used to such a quiet surrounding, there was something surprisingly peaceful about it: it was just nature and I.

The time waiting to catch my fish allowed me to stop, look around and observe nature like I never had before. To my surprise, I was quite amazed by the beauty of the blue skies and picturesque lake that lay in front of me; even though I have seen plenty of beautiful landscapes in movies and pictures, it occurred to me that I hadn’t experienced this type of natural scenery for myself in a while. The transparency of the water, the abundance of trees and variety of insects and animals around me made me recognize the true value of the natural world that I often take for granted. At the same time it made me think about everyday life in the city and how scarce and neglected the wildlife and plants are. It also made me realize how easy it is to get caught up in the “city life” and forget about the importance of the natural environment completely.

By the time our camping trip was over, I felt more at one with nature than I ever have before. I was finally able to leave my materialistic needs and habits behind and I was confident that I had acquired a refreshed outlook on things. Not only did I learn a couple things about surviving in the wilderness, but I also left with a newfound appreciation for nature, and the natural, organic environment around me. I realized how rarely I stop to examine the beautiful nature around me. As a result, my camping trip has inspired me to spend more time outdoors, even if it just means a quick walk in the park, because there is so much to be grateful for and just a short breathe of fresh air can remind me of that. I was glad I was able to step outside my comfort zone, namely the city, and experience nature for what it is, even if it was only for a short weekend.