Exploring nature during the pandemic
I’ve always been a homebody. Books and hearty meals keep me company on Friday nights. I’d choose having brewed coffee at home over spending outside, and shop online over going to physical stores (even pre-pandemic).
For me, nothing beats being surrounded by my soft sheets and fluffy pillows. Feeling cozy, relaxed, and happy happens inside my little private sanctuary.
But with the pandemic keeping us all at home, everyone is, more or less, an automatic homebody. Personally, it didn’t affect me as much, up until about 5 months into the pandemic here in Canada.
Slowly, my bedroom didn’t feel like the cozy space that it once was. Working from home completely erased the boundary between work and private life — I would find myself working on my desk, which is a few feet away from my bed, up until the wee hours of the morning. Because my habits changed, my feelings towards my room changed too. Since my sleeping schedule got ruined the first few months, every corner of my room tempted me to sleep or nap. Reading on my bed, which I used to do so often, felt laborious, since I associated it with work. My room didn’t feel like my little cozy nook anymore.
Many of us have experienced this shift within our lives — the need to convert your home space into a complete working environment probably influenced your lifestyle.
And to escape that tension, nature called me in.
The trail I explored is reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s Evermore album art cover — you’re embraced by a lush woody forest and the sound of birds as they nestle in their comfy nests.
My curiosity was heightened as my eyes drift to a rustic bridge, with its wooden exteriors reflecting the experiences it has gone through during harsh winters and warm summers. A faint creak can be heard from the bridge every time the breeze passes through.
As I entered deep into the forest, I was greeted by an open meadow of flowers, all of which were blooming just in time for spring.
It’s beautiful how photography can capture a moment and a feeling all at once. I remember feeling so giddy as I took these images — it looked as if the flowers were dancing with the gentle breeze, all knowing I was there to capture their beauty. The course was filled with blooming plant life — many of which greeted me warmly with their open buds.
I wanted to capture the beauty of nature — a beauty that was unaffected by the pandemic. Feeling isolated in my house, I brought my Nikon D80 and captured nature during the warm afternoon when the sun’s fingers touch the flowers. Little did I realize that being in nature would freshen my perspective drastically. As someone who spent years commuting to downtown Toronto for school and studying all day, I was never the type to go outdoors. Only by being isolated indoors did I fully realize what I was missing.
The solace of being still. The peace that silence brings to your soul. The warmth of the sun. The cool breeze that touches your face — as if nature is saying “Hello, I’ve been waiting for you .”
If you have the chance, take a walk outside or ride your bike. It doesn’t even have to be a trail or a park. Sunbathing in your backyard or just having your daily breakfasts in your garden can make a whole difference.
Nature is truly the best teacher — she reminds us to take a step back, embrace moments of silence, and live every moment with as much grace as a flower.
To view all the images I took during this nature trip, click the button below.