Day 7: Write Your Love Letter to the Wild
Why do you love being outside?
Heroine, it’s time to put your love for the wild into words.
Your prompt for Day 7:
Write a short journal entry titled, “Why I Love Being Outside.”
Then if you’re comfortable, share your thoughts in the comments or on Substack Notes, and tag them with #LoveTheWild
Maybe it’s the way the wind feels against your skin, or the sense of freedom you feel under an open sky. Whatever it is, take a moment to celebrate your unique connection with nature.
As you write, let these words from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden inspire you:
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach.”
Today, let’s honor the lessons the wild teaches us—about simplicity, beauty, and what really matters.
I can’t wait to hear why you love being outside. Share your journal entry or a favorite quote about nature in the comments, and let’s reflect together.
With gratitude for the wild,
Jill
P.S. Receiving too many emails from us? Opt out of the challenge here:
I'm a little late to the game, but I love this prompt, and it reminded me of two pieces of writing that matter to me: "Testament of a Fisherman," by Robert Traver, and my own take inspired by his format, included below, which I wrote some years ago.
I am cheating on the challenge a little, because this writing is not from today, but I want to share it anyway.
Testament of a hiker, and a thank you to Robert Traver
I fish because I love to;
Because I love the environs where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful, and hate the environs where crowds of people are found, which are invariably ugly;
-Robert Traver
Thus begins one of my favorite poems, “The Testament of a Fisherman,” in which the poet, Robert Traver, (pen name of John D. Voelker, who served as a judge in Marquette, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula) examines his love of fishing and says, “Because only in the woods can I find solitude without loneliness,” a phrase that echoes to my core.
During the past few weeks of the Covid 19 pandemic, in which I have been relegated to my home, my husband the only person I see on a daily basis, teaching a full load of classes online, and trying to support my students, family, and friends through these strange and scary times, hiking continues to be my solace. The woods have been my sanctuary for the last few years, trying to balance life as a new stepmom, rebuilding my career after moving during the recession, and facing other challenges that are all just part of life, but seem fresh and crippling when applied to myself in particular.
And so I hope that Robert Traver will forgive me for using his poem as inspiration:
I hike because I love to;
Because it gives me a purpose when I might otherwise have none.
Because putting one foot in front of the other, looking out for roots that might trip me up, watching for the next blaze, and checking my map gently focuses me to what’s in front of me, instead of the worries of adulthood.
Because the trees are infinitely interesting, with their buds, rippled bark, and gnarled holes that might house anything from a squirrel, an owl, or an elf, in my imagination.
Because it is magical to hear the “hooo, hooo” of an owl or the yips of a nearby pack of coyotes while lying in my hammock, and comforting to behold the green velvet of moss pillows, the striated veins of wildflower petals, and the flow of burbling creeks as I make my way down the trail.
Because few people venture further than a mile or two from the trailhead, and I am allowed to witness wonders small and large that scarcely any will see. Those who are willing to make the journey are worth spending time with, and have become my closest friends.
And while hiking will probably never make me rich or famous, the meditation of meandering along a trail, the concentration needed in its various tasks, and the self-sufficiency of carrying all I need on my back cannot be found anywhere but in the woods.
If you'd like to read Robert Traver's poem "Testament of a Fisherman," in its entirety (which I highly recommend) you can find it here: https://troutbitten.com/testament-of-a-fisherman/
I love being outdoors because it reminds me who I am.
Out here, there’s no pressure to be anything other than present. The wild doesn’t care about my to-do list, my inbox, or whether I’ve figured out my next big life decision. It just is—steady, ever-changing, welcoming me exactly as I am.
I love the way the air shifts right before a storm, the way the light dances on tree branches, the way a trail under my boots feels like an invitation forward. I love how the rhythm of my steps calms my mind, how the wind against my skin makes me feel alive, how a sunrise over Lake Michigan makes my heart ache in the best possible way.
Most of all, I love the connection. To the earth, to the seasons, to the thousands of people who have walked these same paths before me. And to myself—the version of me who slows down, listens, and remembers that I belong here.
That’s why I love being outdoors.