Hey, You: Touch Grass
Author’s Note: This is part three of Living Abundantly With What You Have, a five-part series on the very human notion to collect things, but also the desire to keep things minimal. Start here to learn more!
I wasn’t always someone who cared about being outside. Growing up in the Sunshine State, I’ve experienced a lot of, well, sun. And humidity. Most days, spending more than the required time needed to hotfoot it from your car to your home leaves you drenched in an embarrassing amount of sweat that sticks to every pore. How wonderful!
Florida does have its charm, though, and I’m talking about places beyond The House of Mouse.
In the past few years, especially since 2020, I’ve come to appreciate the great outdoors and the out-of-doors that are, quite literally, outside my door.
Work was rough one week? I’d strap on my trusty Chacos and take 20 around my neighborhood. The sun was especially shiny? My family and I would grab the gear and book it to the coast for the vitamin sea. This appreciation for going outside seemed to do something to me.
Approximately 20 seconds after this photo was taken, a snapping turtle zoomed past me. There are no lakes near my backyard…
However, soon after my husband and I got married, we found ourselves overwhelmed by the constancy of our everyday lives. I figure that comes with the not-so-insignificant act of merging two lives into one. Juggling family obligations with work commitments and bravely attempting to balance a social life on top of a prayer life. Well…just writing that out made me wince a bit.
This takes me back to the whole point of this series: the paradox of simplifying one’s life to reclaim it. That lovely paradox that we are all invited to partake in.
In reflecting on what it means to live abundantly, I found myself reading up more on Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’.In this deep dive about being good stewards of this planet that we all call home, he took some time to share about the dangers of being too immersed online:
Furthermore, when media and the digital world become omnipresent, their influence can stop people from learning how to live wisely, to think deeply and to love generously.
An antidote to our chronically online selves that feel the all-consuming pressure to keep consuming? Go outside. It’s nature’s mute button that can help us cut through a lot of that noise to which we’ve become so accustomed.
Now that I have (mostly) welcomed the humidity and heat of my homeland, I’ve talked about touching grass here and, if you squint, here as well.
But don’t just take it from me. Hitting trails seems to be a tale as old as time:
Jesus would venture into the wilderness to build Himself up, and to reconnect with His Father (and get away from the crowds).
Henry David Thoreau reflected on the wonders of nature in his famed work Walden. (This one’s much overdue for a reread!)
John Muir, an American mountaineer considered the “Father of the National Parks,” wrote in an 1898 essay: “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home.” This was well over a century ago and just as true today.
In our few years of marriage, my husband and I have noticed our special holidays and weekends have shifted from purely city exploration and constant motion. Rather, we’ve embraced what we’re calling “touch-grass trips,” a.k.a. opportunities to take a day or two to put our phones aside and explore nature. Day trips and mini vacations (propelled by Frontier airline tickets, help) have leaned into getting lost in the trees and trails.
Once you’ve gotten past the initial panic of losing cell signal, you start to welcome the silence. The chirps of birds and the rustling of leaves. Your mind clears a bit, and you leave feeling much fuller.
Want in?
An invitation
Something I love about this particular essay is that we all have access to the outdoors. It’s economical: you don’t need to venture to a National Park (although I do recommend it) to take in these benefits.
Take a (literal) hike.
I’ve recently discovered the AllTrails app, which helps you identify local trails (from community parks to places off the beaten path) to meet you where you’re at. I was surprised to see how many reasonable trails and walking paths there were within a few miles of my home.
Find one, strap on your favorite walking shoes, and explore!
Explore third spaces.
No matter where you live, you likely are situated nearby an outdoor third space — a community park or a coffee shop with an outdoor patio. Take advantage of it! Bring a journal, a book, or just some sunglasses. Enjoy the ambient sounds in your environment. Disconnect from your phone for a little bit.
This invitation’s about meeting yourself where you’re at. Start small, and don’t be surprised when you find yourself wondering when you can do this again.
So go. Go touch grass, wherever you are.