Beauty

6-28-15

I found it hard to bring myself to do this blog after such a relaxing day, but here we go. I'm not sure what to really talk about so I guess I will just share some of my experiences that I had today. The trip out of town and into nature was exactly what I needed. I left Springfield feeling tired and overwhelmed and came back feeling rested and carefree. This energy is surprising judging by the amount of energy I expended today, but it is a true testament to the influence that the beauty of nature has on me. We changed our plans slightly today and ended up hiking at Ha Ha Tonka instead of floating on the Buffalo River. It was a great decision and the amazing state park there was exactly what I needed. We hiked for six hours so one would think that I would be immediately ready for bed the moment we got home. This is the farthest thing from the truth though. Instead I feel as if I had just laid in a hammock all day reading and relaxing (besides the slight soreness I am experiencing in my legs). It was an amazing day that allowed me to soak up natures beauty and revitalized my spirit. This being my first adventure at Ha Ha Tonka I wasn't really sure what to expect. I had no idea how vast the park was and it took us the whole day to just accomplish some of the more popular trails. We started by visiting the famous "Castle Trail". This is a path that takes you to a large castle that was built by a businessman in the early 1900's. A fire had destroyed all but the foundation of strong and well built stone. Seeing this work of engineering was amazing, especially when you coupled in the fact that they had to haul all of their stone up from a quarry. The amount of work that this structure must have taken was astonishing and hauntingly beautiful. We then proceeded to go from trail to trail hiking past the Lake of the Ozarks, giant, old quarries, a large natural bridge, beautiful natural springs, and balanced on rocks on tall bluffs. This time away from the world, other than the other park goers, was priceless. It allowed me, as I said in my last post, to release my troubles to the world and to be humbled by its vast beauty. I hope this time gave me the perspective I need to carry myself through the rest of this summer semester. Until then I will be dreaming of being back on the beautiful trails with the love of my life.