Connection - Letchworth State Park

Letchworth was our last stop on the family trip that I took last month. You can check out the previous posts here and here. 

I really liked this place. There are three main waterfalls in the park and tons of hiking trails. We did a short hiking trail and then saw all of the waterfalls. They're really easy to get to as you follow along a paved path to see each one. A great place for families or those who aren't into hiking.

I am constantly amazed that places like this exist in the world. A lot of these places that I share are under 4 hours away from where I live in PA and that is crazy to me. I can hop in a car, drive for a bit, and spend the day surrounded by nature that you see on the pages of magazines. 

Growing up I didn't really spend a lot of time in nature. I'd spend a lot of time outside but not in the same connected way that I do now.

In the past I'd just go outside and be outside. I do the same thing now for the most part, but at the same time it is so much more than that. 

When I go outside these days I tune in. I walk barefoot in the grass and feel my feet on the ground. I really look at the flowers, leaves, tree bark, weeds, etc. I listen to the birds, water flowing, and the silence. 

I simply listen.

That sounds easy and like it's no big deal but we are so often stuck in our heads and we're not even aware of our surroundings in the detail that we're able to tune into. 

I remember the first time I read The Power of Now. It was such a game changer for me that I took a walk after I finished it, the same walk that I take everyday, and my whole view on things changed. 

It was like I could see clear for the first time in my life. Things moved differently and I noticed things that I bypassed for years and years.

After that shift I still have moments (often) where I am stuck in my head and just going through the motions. But I can much more easily tune into being fully present and aware. It's so hard for me to explain what and how it all happened. Something just clicked and after that connection was made, I began to make many more connections in nature, my relationships, and my passions.

Now I'm a nature junkie. I am outside as much as possible.

Trips like this mean so much more because I soak it all in and it becomes a part of my energy that I carry around each day. It's magic, connection, and a genuine intention to live my best life. 

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.
— John Muir
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