RV Camping Provides Moments to Appreciate Nature - RVing in Retirement

Traveling in an RV unites the purity of nature that my soul craves with the comforts my body desires by providing the luxuries I have come to appreciate. I have never been one to rough it, but I also acknowledge the influence of a campfire, birds singing, and the feel of the breeze on my face.

There are moments when all anxiety and stated toil are becalmed in the infinite leisure and repose of nature. ~Henry David Thoreau.

Sitting among pine trees reminds me of my significance. Watching and listening to the wonders of nature generates appreciation of events yet to happen. Simply opening my eyes, standing still, and listening, I notice the extraordinary moments of ordinary, daily occurrences reminding me of my importance as a living entity in this world.

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." ~Henry David Thoreau

Hot coals nestle under the burning logs getting hotter as the flames decrease. The wood now consumed by the campfire emits intermittent billows of smoke while the glowing, amber embers radiate heat. Hard to believe the temps are in the 90’s at home, but here in the mountains the morning temperatures barely reaches 50 degrees. I continue the game of musical chairs as the smoke shifts direction with the breeze causing annoyance shadowed by excitement.

The fresh, crisp air carries the birds’ chirping, tweeting, and cheeping. A collection of tones that ring and resonate. A squirrel scampers around, up and through the trees completely knowledgeable of the frustration he inflicts on my dog. My eyes drift from the commotion to a hummingbird magically hovering above the feeder out of reach of the campfire’s smoke. She extracts nectar from the yellow plastic flower until another bird appears and chases her away.

When my phone beeps, I wonder why I allow it to pollute this environment. But I look at the update from CNN, Youth Hospitalized and Dying from the Effects of Vaping. It states one of every twenty youth is choosing to vape. A quote from the Juul CEO assures users that concerns are unwarranted.

Wondering what prompts humans to intentionally poison their bodies that provide life, I move to a different chair as the wind shifts pushing the clouds from the smoldering logs to invade my lungs. By shifting a little left, my lungs clear. This smoke is a natural process of regeneration not a manmade inhalant produced from chemicals.

I watch it drift into the sky carrying a prayer of thankfulness for the beauty of nature and asking for the protection of humankind.

My phone beeps again, I reach over and turn it off without looking at the screen.

If only this moment in the forest could be boxed, shipped, and sold around the world for others to experience. But then the commercialization would tarnish the purity of the landscape. Relaxing sounds emitting from a machine, posters of a woodland scene, or smells of pine dispensed through a diffuser cannot replace the reality of nature.

I am no Henry David Thoreau; I still go for long walks with my iPhone in my back pocket. But I am wise enough to mute it and leave it pocketed. I exist in a modern world and even though I embellish life with modern technology, the calming value of nature prompts me to recognize what is important. Our significance doesn’t come from things but experiences.

However, at the end of each day, my old bones desire to sink into a quality mattress and rest in an environment cooled or warmed by an air conditioner or a heater, whichever is needed at the moment. Meals cooked on a propane stove may not capture the natural, smoke flavor but the ease allows me to savor the tastes. Running water that can be adjusted to the perfect temperature for the required task is a delicacy I cherish. Traveling with the comforts of home fits my personality. I have the best of both worlds in an RV.

"Wealth is the ability to fully experience life." ~Henry David Thoreau

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