My favorite part of camping is simply getting away from all the responsibilities and duties that I hold as a citizen, student, son, and brother. Camping allows me to spend time by myself, appreciating the truly majestic beauty that natures holds for anyone who simply lifts their eyes from their work to see it. Nature holds a beauty that man has and never will match. No picture can capture the amazing power that nature has. A picture is worth a thousand words, but being there to see it is worth a million.

My family goes camping to escape our everyday lives, but I alone could spend hours, sitting in silence, away from any other human being, simply staring off into the distance, enjoying the time away from all the clutter and trash that our lives are filled with everyday; simply enjoying the fact that I can hear myself think, and knowing that there is not a need to, the only thing I need to do is watch that which was put in front of me by one far greater than any human. The captivating power that nature holds for me can keep me silent and unaccompanied for hours, and not have one thought or feeling of loneliness.

Unlike some people I know and love to be around, I do not need to be constantly surrounded by people to be happy; I do not need to talk to convey something; I do not need to be next to someone to not feel lonely; I do not need to talk just for the sake of talking. I can be by myself and by happier that I am when talking to people; I can convey whatever I need without ever opening my mouth; I can be completely alone for hours and not feel the slightest bit lonely; I prefer to listen to others rather than doing the talking myself.

As is a tradition with my family and the other families that go with us, we put two hours or so aside and traverse whatever path that the camp grounds have as a hiking trail. It is an excellent use of time, and really puts us into the beautiful nature that was everywhere before humans started changing everything for their own goals. Humans, unlike many other animals on this dear planet, do not really adapt to match their surroundings, but rather adapt their surroundings to match their own desires. While on this hike, most of the people I am with enjoy talking and playing while we go, but as for me, I simply drink in the nature that I am so gratefully submersed in like a camel that has gone without water for far too long. In our world of steel and glass, man simply cannot and never will match the beauty that nature holds, and will hold until man destroys it, forever.