Donate

Tag: outdoors

Home Again

por Zairy Ramos

For many of us connecting to nature feels innate. It’s as if our souls crave a quintessential peace and balance that could only be found immersed amongst the tall oaks, maple lined paths or within the sweet embrace of calming fresh pines. Nature is the center of my being; it is a harmonious essence that fulfills my deep desire for tranquility and wildness in its purest form.

Many of us grow up without fully understanding how to fulfill this need for the outdoors even though the need is deeply rooted dating back a multitude of generations. Often times that’s because we forget, but nature quickly reminds us by filling us up with feelings of nostalgia and unexplainable gratitude.

“For me, most of my childhood was cultivated by survival. I spent most of my young life scaling fish in the Caribbean with my Puerto Rican grandfather. He wasn’t a man of many words and I loved that. He taught me early on the importance and the power silence bares”.

Growing up on an island was very special. My grandparents raised me to believe that our rainforests and our seas amongst other natural wonders were the most important aspects of this world. I had very little notion of material possessions. They were unimportant. My mother worked hard; she did her best to rise from poverty and moved to the States in an attempt to do so. This is the story of so many Latinos. I felt lucky that I was able to remain on my beautiful island. Life was grand, being raised by my grandparents was by far and to this day one of my most prized memories. One day my mother returned for me and without knowledge, she packed my belongings. In less than 24 hours I was forced to wave goodbye to my loving “viejos”, the arborous forest and the gentle seas that held every secret I left unspoken.

“New Jersey became home, a place I never longed for but now deeply love. I have rooted myself here amongst hundreds of state and national parks, amongst fresh waterways and the Atlantic Ocean and I wouldn’t have it any other way”.

Many Latinos share a similar story, where life decides we belong elsewhere and we most do our part along the journey to adapt. I adapted and while the Caribbean Sea is not near, there is beauty here I was depriving my soul to see. It’s amazing what we miss when we pity ourselves.

If you are ever uprooted or seek to feel whole again, you too can find home once again in a new geographic location. We are human, and we have an immense ability to adapt. Exploring nature is the same in all parts of the world. Mother nature’s creations are always there to receive us with open arms.

My love and connection to the outdoors stems from a desire to reconcile with all that drains me and takes a hold of me. Loosing myself in the woods for me is equivalent to feeling an immense amount of selfless love. Nature is divine, always there to mend your soul. Let every step be part of your spiritual journey towards re-balancing and rejuvenating the parts of you that feel depleted.

Nature offers me and many others a place where caramel complexion isn’t a threat nor a hindrance. It is a place where our untamed natural beauty is unseen blending with the browns and the shades of green, empowering and welcoming us as part of its diversity. Aside from captivating views, nature offers us more than we could ever be thankful for. It’s a real-life picturesque canvas available to all despite race, gender, sexuality or socio-economic status. We are powerful beyond measure, let no person define or put boundaries on what we were born to explore. We belong, never allow perception or the entitlement of others define the space so many of us long for and adore. For me and perhaps for you the great outdoors is unspoken poetry, essential to the wellbeing of our soul.

How Skiing Changed My Relationship with the Outdoors ~ By Monique Limón

 

Growing up, I was surrounded by kids in schools who talked about skiing and going to places with snow. I vividly remember coming back from winter break and sitting in a high school geometry course and having all of my tablemates tell me about their visit to Mammoth over the winter vacation.

I didn’t grow up visiting ski resorts but remembered hearing about them and wondering not only what Mammoth was like…but also what snow was like. As a young first-generation Latina from Southern California, snow was not part of my reality. I do remember making it to Santa’s Village in San Bernardino in the early 80’s and seeing some snow used to decorate the place.

It wasn’t until I became an adult that I had that one “outdoors friend” who encouraged me to take a trip to Tahoe because she knew someone who could get us discounted tickets to go skiing. I was a working adult who could now afford the ticket to go skiing and to see the snow. So I did.

My trip to Tahoe changed my relationship with the outdoors. I took ski lessons the first half of the morning and skied the rest of the day. I didn’t pick up skiing easily and struggled quite a bit. Nonetheless, it put a genuine smile on my face. I loved being on the mountain and challenging myself to get down while gliding through the snow. I liked the snow and learned how much I liked skiing on powder. In addition to the physical joy it brought to me, it also allowed me to temporarily put aside all other worries, concerns, and distractions and simply focus on the skis, the mountain, and me.

ML2

Feeling joy.

That first experience has led to many others. I must admit that while I’m still not the best of skiers, I continue to enjoy skiing as much as I did day one – that hasn’t changed one bit. That experience also motivated me to try other outdoor experiences. So when that one “outdoor friend” invited me to Yosemite, I was happy to say yes to my very first visit to the national park.

My current professional and community commitments keep me very busy and I don’t get to ski as often as I would like (which could explain why my skills as a skier have plateaued). I do however think about what it means to give people the opportunity to experience the outdoors in a meaningful way for the first time. In my role as a School Board Member, I have been thoughtful about what it means to have students live minutes from the beach yet not ever have the opportunity to visit the ocean and hesitate going into the water because they don’t know how to swim. Or, how for some students in the school district, their sixth grade science camp experience is the first and perhaps only camping experience they will ever have.

Skiing changed my relationship with the outdoors and helped me think differently about outdoor experiences. While I may not ski as much as I’d like and still think about the costs associated with the activity, I don’t hesitate to find ways in my life or the life of others to experience the outdoors.

ML4

Skiing in Big Bear, California.

 

 

ML5

Weekend trips with friends has become a favorite past time.

Monique Limón is a School Board Member for Santa Barbara Unified School District. In this capacity, she is part of a governing body that serves over 15,500 students.

Twitter:
@SMoniqueLimon
https://twitter.com/SMoniqueLimon

Crossing La Kineña (Land of the King’s people)

By Eddie Gonzalez

Eddie

When I was little, my father used to tell me fantastic tales about crossing King Ranch, or La Kineña as my father called it, an 825,000 acre ranch in South Texas started in 1853 by Captain Richard King. Some days, the story was about pilgrims caravanning across King Ranch and the bandits they encountered. Sometimes, the story was about young boy who got lost and was visited by a spaceship. Other times, the stories described hunting and fishing adventures on the ranch. One way or another, someone was always trying to cross La Kineña. The stories grew more and more incredible.

Imagination can only get you so far, though. My first real exposure to the outdoors was through Boy Scouts. Acquiring badges and utilizing survival skills was a great way of enjoying nature. Sadly, I never really got into camping or hiking and my attention eventually moved on to academics, band, and other school priorities. That’s when my appreciation for the outdoors abruptly stopped. I lived surrounded by beautiful Texas countryside in a part of country known for migratory birds and coast ecology, and yet I had lost my connection. Fortunately for me, my life would bring me back to the outdoors.

In 1995, I had been in living in Washington, DC for about a year after graduating from college when a friend organized a camping trip to George Washington National Forest near Front Royal, Virginia. There was something about that trip that reignited my love for the outdoors. I remember sitting around the warmth of the campfire mesmerized by the flames and pulsing embers. I felt at peace. It was a feeling I wanted to share with anyone and everyone.

A few years ago, I was talking one my daughter’s friend’s parents when they admitted to me that they had never been camping and really didn’t have the motivation to learn how to do it. I immediately felt sad that my daughter’s friend would not get a chance to experience nature the way we had. (We had been camping with our daughter since she was 1 year old.) It was a challenge I had to accept.

Within a few months, I had convinced them and four other families to go camping. I gave them all packing lists and took care of all the food. Everyone had a great time. The same group still goes camping twice a year, May and October, and each time we add a family new to camping. Families that had never camped before now email me articles about cool camping gear or new places to visit or recipes they want to try on the next trip. A mother said to me one morning, “That was the best sleep I’d ever had.” The impact of nature speaks volumes. It thrills me to be the spark that ignites the passion for camping in others.

Nature has a way of filtering out the noise in your life. It lets your spirit come out of its shell. Sadly, many families are still uneasy about camping. Those of us with the skills and knowledge to make camping more accessible need to help others through that uneasiness. We can be ambassadors for nature to our family, friends, or coworkers.

I love to camp and to share that love with others. I continue to help others cross La Kinena in my own way. I hope to see you out there. Meet me by the fire ring!

 

Eddie Gonzalez has over 20 years of experience in developing, administering, and implementing science and conservation education, outreach, partnership, and professional development programs, workshops, and trainings in a variety of non-profit settings. You can connect with him on twitter: @rubrics4life.