Why I Need Wild

      The past few days I have been extremely sick and unable to spend much time outside. Due to this, I have realized what I miss out on when I can’t experience the wild. The first thing I’ve noticed is that I find my attention span lowering when I spend more time inside and on my phone. I try to combat this with reading, but nothing will beat my runs through the park.  

         Another reason I need wild is because it adds to my appreciation of life. I’ve seen this show up most in my ROTC experience. I used to absolutely hate going to the field, sleeping outside, and dealing with the weather. One day I decided to start finding ways to enjoy being outside. I started small by enjoying less screen time and finding ways to appreciate the wilderness. By starting small, I have found a genuine appreciation for going to the field now. I started packing less gear and making an effort to fully immerse myself in nature when I am out there. This newfound appreciation has improved my quality of life with the Army drastically and made me happier overall.  

The wilderness has always been a pivotal part of my life. Some of my most fond memories with my family were spent in the Hoh Rainforest, at Deception Pass, or at Kopachuck State Park. I do not think I would be who I am today without my experiences in nature.  

 

Ten Best Photos and My Best Photo

 

Reflecting on my top 10 photos, I found that a lot of them are landscape focused. While I love animals, I enjoy landscape photos because I feel it captures the feeling I have when I took the picture. It allows others to see what I see and feel what I feel. While pictures of animals can do the same thing, landscape pictures allow others to value and focus on whichever aspect most speaks to them. 

My Best Photo

This picture is my favorite one that I took this semester. This was taken at the botanic gardens in Highlands, North Carolina. I find the reflection of the sky on the water truly amazing. I also love how the closer trees frame the further tree. 

Extended Outdoor Experience

This week, we had the opportunity to go to the Fort Worth Zoo as a class. I decided to count this as my extended outdoor experience. I had only been to the zoo one time before this, but I didn't stay for long. Compared to other zoos, I think the Fort Worth Zoo does an amazing job of making guests feel like they are truly immersed in nature. I value the shade the trees provide over all of the walkways. I appreciate how intentional the zoo is with their landscaping and design.  

Last time I went, the amphibian and reptile enclosure was closed. I was really excited to have the opportunity to explore that this time, it is now one of my favorite parts of the zoo. That being said, I was greatly disappointed when I did not see a horned frog. I am sure they have one somewhere, but I did not see it during our entire zoo visit.  

The Texas Wild exhibit was probably my favorite part of the visit. I liked seeing animals that live in this state because it made me think about the wildlife I can’t see back home and how unique Texas is. The coyotes were up and walking around when my group walked by. They seem much bigger than the ones I see in Washington. I also spent some time at the bald eagle exhibit. While I see plenty of these in Washington, it was amazing to see one up close.  

Paddling Adventure

 This weekend I had the opportunity to join Dr. Williams and his daughter on the water at the Fort Worth Nature Preserve. I had the pleasure of taking out one of his kayaks. Growing up, I raced kayaks for a few years in the Puget Sound, but it has been quite a long time since I last went out. As of late, I have primarily used stand up paddle boards (SUPs).  

    Heading to the Nature Center, I had fairly low expectations to be honest. I imagined it would be like paddling on the trinity by campus. While this still would've been great, I had this picture in my head. I could not have been more wrong. 

    We started out by moving through a marshy like area where the river was filled with lily pads. It felt like I was in Florida or some sort of tropical area. I found it really unique how the water beaded on the lily pads when they were splashed. As we continued on, we saw a plethora of large birds and a surprising number of turtles. While this was great, the highlight was the amount of allegators we saw! I think we saw over 4 and I had never seen one before. 

    This trip unlocked the memory of paddling for me. I grew up going on trips quite a bit but I have since forgot how much I enjoyed it. I feel like most people jump to hike over paddle, but it is arguably more enjoyable with a similar nature experience. With my upcoming training in Missouri, I plan to incorporate paddling more into my nature expeditions

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Field Training Exercise

    Recently, Army ROTC conducted a Field Training Exercise (FTX) in Fort Wolters, Texas. We conduct these twice a year, one each semester. The spring FTX is always much more intense as we partner with around 3 other schools. This is the final chance for the juniors to run tactical lanes before their month-long assessment this summer. As a "Battle Captain" my job was to help the platoons stay on track while they run missions. While I was told I needed to stay inside the Tactical Operations Center (TOC), I took that as more of a suggestion and walked with them all day.

    It was supposed to be hot that weekend but ended up being overcast and windy, really great weather for running missions. I enjoyed hiking through the woods and the dry creek beds. Unfortunately, we had many cadets fall into cacti fields and get covered in thorns. The coolest thing I saw was a live rattlesnake, I had never seen one before! I then took the time to explain the Abbey story to some of my fellow cadets, they actually found it pretty cool. 

    Something weird I have noticed at many Army bases is a substance informally called "moondust". This is sand or dry dirt that has been driven on so many times by heavy vehicles that it turns into this powder-like substance. It coats absolutely everything and gets kicked up easily when it is windy. 

    Overall, FTXs are some of my favorite parts of being in ROTC. It gives me the chance to spend time outside and analyze the terrine for a purpose. I like that we usually have little to no cell service so I can fully invest into the activities I am taking part in outside. 

Spring Break

 Over spring break, I had the opportunity to participate in an Ironman 70.3 triathlon and visit Highlands, North Carolina.

    Before the Ironman, I was pretty scared of the swim, and I was not looking forward to not having headphones. The field was 70% beginners, and the water temp was projected to be cold. I was scared of people freaking out near me because of this and lack of experience. On race day, a different issue was presented. The wind in Little Elm was gusting up to 50 mph and the swim was canceled. The bike was extremely difficult because I had to fight the wind and prevent myself from falling off. While initially I was dreading not having headphones, it was better for me. I was much more locked in and could actually appreciate what I was doing and where I was. The best parts of the race occurred when I was in green areas. On the bike this looked like back country roads with rolling hills that were beautiful. On the run, about half of it was on a trail through the park. I noticed that, while on the trail, my heart rate dropped and I didn't feel like I was struggling as much. Overall, this was a difficult race, but I feel blessed that I could be tested with the elements and come out the other side. 

    Highlands, North Carolina was much more peaceful. When we arrived, there was heavy snow falling. This only lasted the evening as the temperature progressively warmed over the week. While the ice melted, crazy icicles remained for days. Highlands sits in the Nantahala National Forest. I did not realize that the U.S. Department of Agriculture sits over the National Forest service and covers national forests. I found it amazing how the roads curved and switched back while you drove up them. Overall, I enjoyed the hiking. One hike, the Sunset Rock hike, allowed cars to drive on it which I did not like at all. A unique aspect of Highlands is the abundance of minerals. It feels like you are walking on a disco ball because there are so many small shiny rocks/minerals. I found a really nice piece of what I think is pegmatite. Another part of town I loved was the Highlands Nature center Nature Center - Highlands Biological Station. This area was truly amazing and well maintained. There are scenic trails that flow around a small lake as well as a plethora of environmental education resources. In reflection, this is a really great town. Their commitment to history, preservation, and accessibility is impressive. While I did not like seeing the car on our hike, the thought that somebody else can experience what I can makes up for it. 

Civil War Trip

 The weekend of March 4th I had the opportunity to attend a Staff Ride in Washington D.C., Gettysburg, and Antietam to study the civil war. We discussed key leaders and how their actions, or inactions, shaped the war. 

    The first observation I had was at Arlington National Cemetery during the changing of the guard. I noticed that all of the roads were fairly difficult to see and were covered by trees or other foliage. I thought this enhanced my experience because I was not distracted by tour busses driving by. 

    At both Gettysburg and Antietam, we had a guide take us around on a walking tour (true Abbey style). I think this enhanced our experience because it allowed us to put ourselves in the soldier's shoes. We understood the impressiveness of little round top because we actually climbed it as well. The tour walking tour also helped me understand how decisions were made. They were making maps as they went and did not have any imagery. Our tour guide also told us that they recently moved all powerlines underground so the land could be better observed, which I appreciated. After our tour, I got up early and went for a run though the park. I found the fog and rolling hills eerie and it felt like an experience I will never have again.  

    In D.C. I was extremely excited to visit the Botanical Garden. While everything outside was dead, the inside plant exhibit was one of the coolest I had ever seen. Every room was something different, ranging from a cacti exhibit to tropical plants. I am not sure where this falls on the "nature scale" because it is an engineered exhibit. That being said, I think if more people had access to these crazy plants they may care more about protecting them. It is easy to ignore an issue when it is far away, but when you see an endangered plant right in front of you, it hits harder.