Maybe I should clarify. It's not like we were raised by wolves. We had a loving, comfortable home that happened to sit in the crook of forested land. Building forts and making adventures in those woods filled much of our play-time. I am not sure we appreciated it at the time though, as it was simply childhood as we knew it. Besides, most of our classmates at our tiny country school had similar backyards. Shoot, some of them even had 4-wheelers and horses! How could we compete with that?!
When we went to look at college campuses, our mom would often say, "I like this school, they have nice trees." We couldn't understand her logic; Surely we should explore the strength of our desired academic program, not the way in which they have landscaped! Years later, I understood what my mom was trying to convey: you don't just go to college, you live there too. And you will be happiest if you enjoy where you live.
I have picked many homes with that lesson in mind (and disregarded it while picking others). My current home has sweet proximity to a large city park and an ocean beach, but there are no trees in the neighborhood. In fact, the concrete surroundings and tall buildings can make it feel gloomy and overcast, even when the sun is shining. Sometimes this, combined with the other challenges of living in a city, really gets to me. A near-daily trek to the park or weekend trips to far-away mountains always helps to clear my mind and my lungs.
But ultimately, I long to live in the woods. Where adventures (and forts!) are once again in my backyard.
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