How to Find Nature Wherever You Are

If you know me at all, you probably know one of my favorite things in the world is being out in nature. I don’t think there’s anything as relaxing as sitting by a lake or hiking in the mountains. But unfortunately for me, I happen to live pretty far from most of those. My city is a bit of a concrete jungle, full of huge buildings and mile after mile of congested highway. Honestly, when I first moved here I missed the mountains from my hometown so terribly. All I wanted was to go back.

But here we are fifteen years later… And while my city may not be located amount the mountains, I’ve learned throughout the years that it does have a lot of nature to offer. We have parks and gardens, and even a beach an hour’s drive away (the color of the water is notoriously nowhere near blue… but hey, we’ll take what we can get).

Sometimes I still dream about moving somewhere where opportunities to get lost in the middle of nature are more prominent. But in the meantime, I’ve realized there are a lot of little ways to enjoy the beauty nature has to offer wherever I am.

Here are some of the ways you can make time for nature no matter where you are, too.

Make time to watch the sunset or sunrise

One of the most beautiful ways to appreciate nature in our everyday life is to watch the sunset (or sunrise, if you’re one of those early birds that apparently exist). I think the best way to do this in a building-packed city like mine is to find a tall parking garage or even try watching from your own roof (just stay away from the edge!). One of my favorite memories from my trip to Kenya was watching the sun rise over Lake Victoria, so I know how beautiful the rising/setting sun can also be over water. If there’s a beach or lake near you, I’d definitely recommend watching from there.

Take up nature photography

I’m not saying you need to quit your job and do this for a living. But I think picking up nature photography as a hobby can be a great incentive to stop and notice the little details of nature. I sometimes take (completely amateur) nature photographs with my phone or camera, and it’s such a simple thing, but it somehow allows me to dwell on the lovely details of flowers and leaves and trees. If you want some inspiration on where to start, check out the #naturephotography tag on Instagram.

Walk or bike instead of driving

Unless you take a particularly scenic route to work, the most nature you’re likely to see on your commute is, well, the sky. Driving also means you have to focus on so many other things at once. Like traffic, the radio/passengers, and of course, the actual act of driving. So if you can opt to walk somewhere instead of driving, go for it! This isn’t always doable of course, but there are ways I think most of us can try it. Maybe start by walking across the street to grab lunch instead of driving to a restaurant. And take time to (literally) smell the flowers along the way. :)

Sit outside at restaurants

I almost always prefer to sit in the patio of restaurants, unless of course it’s the middle of summer and 100 degrees (like right now, for example…). But when the weather is nice, I find that sitting in patios is relaxing, and has a much better view than indoors. I love being able to hear the sound of birds nearby, or feel the gentle breeze blow by as I enjoy my meal. I will give a disclaimer though: sometimes people sit at patios to smoke (especially at cafes), so be warned if that makes you uncomfortable!

Get away from the bright lights

One of the most impressive and inspiring sights nature has to offer is the night sky. The millions of stars and constellations visible against the midnight sky are truly like nothing else. But of course, in a polluted city like the one I live in, they’re not always easy to see. The cool thing is that you really don’t have to get that far away to get a true glimpse of the stars. A few months ago I road tripped to a nearby city only three hours away and got to see a shooting star after only an hour of driving! Going camping in a forest outside your city is also a great way to get a better view of the stars.

So what about you? How do you get around nature in your city?

P.S. I'm heading for New York tomorrow (yay!!), so I won't be blogging for a little while. Will definitely share about my travels when I come back though. :)

#travel #2016