Beautiful sunsets, warm sparkling beaches, fresh powdered snow. Nature is a powerful, integral part of our world. It can be therapeutic and inspiring. It can change our perspectives, without us even realizing it. You can only come to truly appreciate nature by exposing yourself to it. Very small aspects of nature can invoke emotions in our souls we never thought possible. The wise Emerson once said, "What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not been discovered." Certain moments spent in nature can be very surreal and moving.

The famous 18th century philosopher, Thoreau once said, "Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after." When I was very young, my dad would wake me up very early in the morning, before the sun was up. We would drive out to my grandmother's house, where we kept our fishing boat, and troll through the cool early-morning air, in search of a good spot for fishing. The thrill of catching a fish is unexplainable, but it definitely wasn't the only reason I so enjoyed these early fishing trips. After fishing for a while, I would unwrap the chicken biscuit my grandmother had packed for me, and enjoy my breakfast on the back of the boat. Watching the sunrise above the horizon, and hearing the birds begin to chirp with glee was a very emotional experience for me. While gazing at each of the many beautiful colors in the sky, I would be deep in thought, exploring every aspect of my life, and hypothesizing about what was in store for me as I grew older. My grandmother has moved to a different town, and me and my dad are too busy to go fishing together anymore, but the moments I experienced on our early morning fishing trips, and the feelings invoked in me will never be forgotten.

I do think I was able to have an Emersonian experience. I have been able to become one with nature at many different times in my life. These fishing experiences were simply the most memorable. Nature is a such an important aspect of our world, and doesn't always get the appreciation it deserves.