My family has been spending a few days at my in laws cabin. While the kids and wife were sleeping I brewed up some coffee and went outside to look at the lake. The warm coffee felt good on a fairly chilly day. As I looked out on the lake I became frustrated. My hope was to at some point gaze upon nature while up at the cabin, but with a toddler and a newborn, and with how cold it had been, there had been no time for hiking any forest trails. And despite being a cabin, it was one of many on that lake. So while I looked out at the lake all I could see across the ice were pulled up docks and other cabins.
I walked over to the otherside of the cabin and across the gravel road. My in-laws parcel of land ended abruptly, so venturing further out into the woods across the gravel road would be tresspassing, but I figured it was the off season for cabin goers, so likely no one would be home. Of course, my chances of being shot while walking through someones backyard where not zero, but I was desperate to look at some undisturbed forest.
I found a deer trail and walked carefully along it, trying both to not spill my coffee and not disturb the forest. I found fur belonging to an animal of which I do not know, but it was white and interesting, I poked it with a stick and then left it where it was. Then as I walked a little further I saw a small clearing, marshy grass stood tall and small trees filled with, moss?, dotted the clearing. There were small hills on all sides, the forest floor was draped with fallen leaves. There was a serene stillness to the view I had. I thought about taking a picture, but I didn't take my phone. Somehow, not having my phone, not being able to take a photo made the view even more beautiful.
A little further in I saw something else just as beautiful. A small pond, with great big fallen logs sticking out of it and covered with moss. The little pond bordered by moss and small trees looked whimsical, like something out of a fairytale. I didn't want to go back but I knew my son would soon wake from his nap. As I walked back I thought about exploration, it's something that I have always loved, well, I have always loved the idea of it. In reality I don't have the courage and drive to explore as much and in the way I would like to. I don't want my son to be held back by the same timidness. I can already see that he loves to explore, and I encourage it everyday. But if I really want him to be a lifelong explorer, then I have to be one myself. Of course that doesn't always mean tresspassing, but it certainly means stepping out of my comfort zone. And the reward is often something beautiful.