In times of worry or stress, I often find myself mindlessly dreaming of the best things in the world: peace, quiet, the small sounds and soothing scents of nature. . . Earth’s best offerings.

How can you go wrong by simply sitting outside and breathing in? Does the warm sun washing over your face not momentarily calm your worries? Or maybe it’s the dead of winter and the biting wind is rushing blood to your cheeks; you finally feel refreshed after a day inside with the stuffy heaters and too-itchy blankets.

Unfortunately, I think we were all dragged on too many walks as kids. If you weren’t, let me quickly share the experience. A parent comes into your room, bright and early on a Saturday morning, proclaiming, “We’re going for a hike!” There’s a good chance that phrase may leave a sour taste in your mouth.

Any artificially generated way of experiencing nature never bodes well. But I’m here to defend the great outdoors! One of the biggest complaints is how hot or cold it might be. If it’s hot, wear loose clothes and take tons of breaks. Sit down, relax, and press your (hopefully cold) water bottle to your forehead. If it’s cold, wear a ton of layers and put hand warmers in your gloves and boots! 

Hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities get too much hate. It’s not all thorn bushes and rocks waiting to trip you: it may be a majestic view at a mountain’s summit or a grassy plain perfect for picnics.

These beautiful sights can often come from places far removed from towns or bustling cities. The deciduous forests of West Virginia, a highway cutting through the hypnotic Smoky Mountains, or the sweltering Arches National Park in Utah. Nothing beats the overwhelming quiet as you stare up at the night sky, light pollution non-existent in the middle-of-nowhere American Southwest. So even if you are a city lover through and through, I urge you to give more rural exploration a try.