I’ve loved a good hiking trip for as long as I can remember. My favorite way to hike is in a mountain forest. Some areas are dark and some are full of light, some are gloomy and mysterious, and some are bright and vivid. Sometimes I’m lucky to come across a river or a fast stream that formed overnight cause of rain. And sometimes I get even luckier and get to enjoy the ambient or violent sounds of rain hitting the leaves and the branches.

Although I’ve hiked in quite a few different places on Earth – to list some of them, tropical rainforest of El Yunque, snowy Bulgarian mountains, and dunes of Cape Cod, each trip has gifted me with a special feeling of freedom. My heart was racing from the track, my brain was full of breathtaking mental pictures, and my feet were buzzing from the walking up and down all day. Despite being physically exhausted, I felt like everything was possible. Like the whole world was at my feet – in both literal and figurative meaning.

So here are some beautiful images of forests. None are alike; they all have their unique character. Some are full of life and movement, some are still and silent. Now that we’re living through the epidemic, we start to understand the special value that the wild nature really has, and that it can’t be overshadowed by the fanciest country house or the most well-taken care backyard.

There is so much beauty in the wilderness of the forest. There is so much mystery, so much that is uncovered. There is always a room to go deeper, to look closer, to observe more. There is a way to pay attention to the smaller details or to perceive the bigger picture. So many ways to feel the essence with your soul.

Sometimes we get lucky to experience it just a little, to feel its immense power just a little bit. I’m so grateful that I live right next to the beautiful Beach Forest of Cape Cod, Provincetown, and that I get to hike and enjoy the outside world even in times like this without endangering myself or those around me.

I feel like a “Women Who Run with the Wolves” metaphor is overdue here, but I’ve prepared none. I simply hope that I’ve inspired you to step outside (as long as it’s safe for you to do so) and appreciate the gift of nature that Mother Earth has given us.