Why I Need Wild

My perspective throughout this semester has completely shifted regarding the wild, and why I, in fact, do need wild. I think throughout this course, I’ve begun to think about what society would have looked like if “wild” was something we cherished rather than something we tried to destroy.

In order for an area to progress in our own minds, we think we need to level the land, put concrete everywhere, and then have a park somewhere else. But what if the utopian society we looked forward to was one where we are with nature, rather than a sci-fi, ultra high-tech, mega-skyscraper city?

I think a goal of mine now is to become better in nature. To have more knowledge on how to camp, stay safe, and explore this vast earth. I hope wild isn’t something that feels “out there” to me, but something that one day I feel a part of.

Some of my favorite moments this past semester have been the times where I go outside and am intentional about what I’m thinking, knowing I’ll write about it later in my blog. This level of introspection is something I never really knew how to put into words before. It allowed me to slow down and actually take in the details of my surroundings.

Time outside is incredibly calming for me. I always feel better after being outside. There’s some kind of mutual understanding among people that this exists - you don’t really have to explain it, we just get it.

Needing wild isn’t about collecting national park visits or traveling across the world just to finally spend time outside—it’s about feeling present where you are. Whether that’s Fort Worth or across the planet, wild exists for all of us, just waiting to be tapped into.

I used to put “go outside” on my get-to-do list every day. Reflecting on that time in my life, when I was more intentional about being outside, I think I want to go back to that.