My Place Growing Up

The place that I was reminded of while reading Emerson's, and especially Thoreau's, essays was a church camp that I went to for several years as a kid. It is in a rural area in Kentucky and as you can see from the pictures, out in the middle of the woods. Maybe it was a little creepy, but I took pictures off the website so you all could see a little bit of the area. I did not have any saved on my computer! 

Anyway, this is the place where I always felt like I could contemplate things and just sit outside in nature and take everything in. We even had a designated time every day where we had to go outside and pick a spot to just pray and think (of course, we were not allowed to go too far). My experience is not as extensive as Thoreau's idea of sauntering; however, I felt like I could relate a little bit. I was still in society and not completely lost in the woods, but I got a little taste of the beauty of nature for four summers and I am grateful for the time that I had.