A Part of Me Will Always Be a Forest Child

Although my attention has recently drifted towards urban living, my love for nature and wildlife will always remain. The majority of my fondest childhood memories took place in the outdoors, as I grew up in an area outside the city of Cincinnati consisting mostly of trees and undeveloped land. While some kids sat in front of the television or went to swing at the park for entertainment, I was spending much of my time with friends in the woods climbing trees, going on hikes or making forts and teepees. Such natural environments feed a child's imagination and appetite for adventure, and while I often pined to live closer to the city, I truly enjoyed the freedom that rural areas provide.

When I wasn't pretending to be a Native American on a quest to gather food or playing in the creeks of Cincinnati, I was having more epic adventures in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where my family spends their summers. Without television, cell phone service or internet, we escape each year to a small island accessible only by boat where my sister and I would band together with our cousins and family friends to become what I can only describe as a troop of forest children. The daylight hours were spent swimming, fishing and hiking, and in the nighttime we retired to the campfire to make smores and admire the thousands of stars that were suddenly so visible. I've always thought of it as my favorite place on earth-- the place I can return to at any age and re-live my childhood adventures.

Now I live in the city, and I no longer have the opportunity to walk out my door and into the woods. After a year of living here, I was even more anxious to return to the island this summer, but commitments in Cincinnati made it unlikely that I would be able to spend as much time in Michigan as I have in the past. At the beginning of August, I finally found a week that would work, and my friend Louise and I headed up. Having grown up a lot in the past year, I've become less interested in making "indian tree forts", shooting BB guns, and having chicken fights in the lake, so I was a little nervous about what I would think of this Michigan trip. I'm no geezer, but growing up and becoming inundated with various commitments has seemed to snuff out some of that childhood imagination I once thought I would have forever.

But as I stepped out of the car and inhaled a whiff of that piney Michigan smell, I knew I didn't have to worry. We grow up and our interests and personalities change, but some things are so deep-rooted that they'll stay with us forever. I may not have the desire to go on pirate picnics or play "capture the flag" anymore, but I'll forever feel a sense of adventure every time I take a walk in the woods.

I'm happy to know I'll always be a forest child.