*Written on 3/11/2012*
I’ve always had an introverted side ever since middle school. However, my intrinsic behavior, aka gut instinct, was to go OUT. I was an animal protector, field runner, biker, and the leading kid with the loudest voice. (The ironic fact was that I could not swim for some reason….even now, for real, I cannot swim at all period.)
Anyways….if you were there when I was little, you could find dirt stuck in every single piece of my nail, animal fur on my shirt, and possibly the smell of some wild grass and flower in my hair. Of course as I grew older, I became more matured to take care of my personal hygiene, moral behaviors and attitude. My passion for outdoor, however, did not change a single bit.
I love nature.
Have any guesses on what would be my favorite field of study at school? If you guess Personal Fitness, you’re on the right track. However, not only am I interested in going outside, but also exploration. Does that sound like something familiar? Yes! Geology! Earth Science! Environmental Science! Astronomy!
(You might ask, why not biology?…. Well, because it includes unfamiliar Latin names.)
In Taiwan, there wasn’t a lot of opportunity for students to study outdoor like on a field trip. Needless to say, since I grew in an industrialized area, the opportunity to study outdoor was even more uncommon. It was like a paradise after I moved to Augusta, Ga. There are tall pine trees, forests, and vast fields of grass for a good view of nature. I even see deer, foxes, raccoons from time to time, and squirrels, birds on daily bases.
In high school, there were more field trips in relations to my study. In Lakeside High school, I took Environmental Science and the whole class went on a day trip to Tybee Island to study water, soil, and many organisms. At Augusta State University, I took GEOL 1121, and Prof. Steeper took the class on a field trip as well. Dr. Parker, the instructor of Astronomy 1000, frequently provided night sky gazing and studying up on the roof of the Science Hall.
You might be thinking that those classes I mentioned were all about running around, getting an easy grade. Nevertheless, the study of those subjects would make you feel different with your surroundings. After you remember the names of the stars in the night sky, or understand the origin of birth of every rock you stepped on, or discover every inch that the soil has eroded, you will see spirit because there is life.
When you go out for a jog, leave your I-Pod or MP3 behind, and jog somewhere away from the urban areas. You will be surprised with how different the world is when you are fully using your visual, olfactory, and auditory senses. You will notice the difference.
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