Have you ever thought about how much you look at and use electronics every day? Probably not, but you should. People these days spend hours upon hours using electronics and less time outside. It’s time to realize we need to take a break from electronics and get back to nature.

Do you even remember the last time you were walking to your house at night and looked up for one second, just one second, to see the stars, shining bright, perfect, in a sea of black? Never miss a chance to witness something incredible.

There are many opportunities to go outside no matter how much time you may or may not have. You’d be surprised at how relaxing spending even a minute outside could be. As silly as it sounds, some forget to realize we didn’t always have technology. We came from nature; it’s our unsaid home, so people must visit it to realize where they came from and what shaped us to be where we are today.

If you usually find yourself inside play video games or watching Netflix all day, you can use this valuable time to go smell the roses. A lot of people find the smell of flowers, fresh cut grass and barbeques to be quite enticing. Considering you probably imagined those smells in your head, if you go outside, there is a good chance you could smell at least one of those.

It’s fun to get outside and play sports, hike or even do some gardening/lawn work. Great days shouldn’t be spent switching from one social media to another, it should be spent with friends going on adventures. Sometimes nature can give you something that you may not have known you wanted.

Going outside [according to the National Wildlife Federation] has many benefits to your body as well as your mind and soul. Taking a break from the indoor life and venturing outside for activities allows for, “… increases fitness levels and builds active, healthy bodies.” NWF has also noted that, “…stress levels fall within minutes of seeing green spaces.” If you think about it, most people can probably relate to looking out the window at work or at school and wishing they were outside.

People are attracted to nature; astonishing sunsets, beautiful landscapes, mysterious forests. It’s primal for us to feel more comfortable in a natural setting versus a man-made building. I’m not saying we want to live in the wild, but people will get an urge to escape to nature every now and then, even if it is to just go outside the doors and take a breather.

Nature is relaxing, yet revitalizing in the right conditions, so find what is better suited to you. Where some people might prefer a busy park with many socializing opportunities, others might find it better to go on a quiet hike with their thoughts. Considering emotions, a little bit of both wouldn’t be too bad.

Local parks and hiking spots are a good place to go if you don’t know what to do. In the Carlisle area we have several amazing outdoor places to visit:

North Middleton Park: Baseball fields, playgrounds, a creek to fish/swim in, pavilions, a basketball hoop and plenty of room to run around.

Village Park: Football and baseball fields, playgrounds, running trail, open fields and pavilions.

Hawk Watch: Adventurous hiking trails, amazing views, trees to climb and away from town.

Opossum Lake: 274 acres to do many activities such as biking, walking, fishing/boating and bird watching.

Thornwald Park: Fitness trail, Thornwald Mansion and open fields.

AHEC: Historical walking/running trail, interesting buildings and military vehicles, and an obstacle course.

Your own neighborhood: Some neighborhoods have a small wood to explore, trees to climb, maybe even a creek to walk in–explore your area and find out!

In one way or another getting back to nature will help you, you just have to explore enough to find out how.

*Note* Where ever you decide to go, please follow any rules/laws stated about the area(in regards to trash, fishing, private property etc.). And if there is a chance you could get lost or hurt (wooded mountain trails) bring someone with you and be prepared for however long you will be out there. Water bottles and light snacks are easy to carry and a good idea for day trips.

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Scott Bowser

Hawk Watch, part of Waggoner's Gap, offers a view second to none. A short trip up a rocky trail gives anyone an excellent glimpse of the Cumberland Valley.