God's Country .

In our busy lives it is far too often that we forget to 'stop and smell the roses.' Despite the cliché, it really is true. The daily rat-race to New York City, job schedules and daily workout routines, time spent with friends and rushed meals, who has time to go on leisurely walks or lay on the grass and turn clouds into creatures? Yet today driving on the highway, when you've been on the road for hours you can't help but notice the beauty in some areas.

Did you know that Vermont has some sort of ordinance that forbids billboards from being put up in the entire state? I feel like Vermont has a real similar feel to Oregon. Coming from suburban, overpopulated Jersey, all of a sudden you're on highway roads that take you through forests, mountains and the middle of nowhere towns. A random house here or there, a bridge and river create this magical woodlands oasis; who knew those even existed anymore?

As the sun set behind the mountains, the cloud cover softly rolled in and all you could see was the blurry waves of light from small towns and hotel signs in the distance. Out here, what you see is what you get -- pure natural beauty. No neon signs, no billboards, no airplane lights. You are out here with nature, more or less alone.

My mind takes me back to when I started reading "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau. While many might take one look at the verbiage in the book and bag it, I decided I wanted to try it -- of my own volition. That's right, I didn't even have to read it for school. I got through about half but the summer waned too quickly and soon I found myself with school around the corner. I returned it back to the library and haven't been back to it in almost a year but maybe it's time to pick it up again. Thoreau was on to something, something about having this own outdoor oasis where you can be you and no one else is privy to the things you discover about yourself.

There's something really special and really comforting about that. That as you discover things about yourself, you can either tell the world -- or hold it secret, locked up in your heart.