August 20, 2023 | Issue #82

1 Quote. 1 Reflection. 1 Question.

1 Quote.

"whenever the light of civilization falls upon you with a blighting power...go to the wilderness."

 -From: Theodore Roosevelt
-Source: Wilderness and the American Mind 

1 Reflection.

I am just getting back from a week-long vacation which included a stay in Kraków, a historic, touristy city, and Zakopane, a mountainous resort town on the southern border of Poland.

Polar opposite places, and I am here to tell you that like Teddy Roosevelt, I too am a big fan of nature. 

There is something magical about nature. The calmness, the running water, the smell of wet grass and trees, and the vastness of it all. 

My time in Kraków was great but traveling in a city for a few days is exhausting. You have to figure out where everything is, the must-go-to cafes, restaurants, bars, and sights can get overwhelming. Your brain gets hit with a tidal wave of choices and it is pretty easy to drown in them if you aren't careful. 

But when you are in the mountains, those choices wash away. There are few spots to eat if any, no need to scroll for reviews, no lines to wait in, no tickets to buy. nada. 

You just need your phone to navigate and take pictures and videos along the way. You can ditch the photo-taking if that's your thing too. 

After the 2 days spent in the mountain with a good friend, I felt refreshed, recharged, and recentered. 2 big sweaty hikes in nature is all I needed to replenish myself. 

It is no wonder that Theodore Roosevelt is known as one of America's best presidents because he figured out the hidden superpower the wilderness provides. 

1 Question.

Can you make time for a 20-minute walk in nature this week?