Journal #5 - Can Nature be Manmade?

Some late night thoughts as I procrastinate studying for my exams...

The world we live in today is so industrial. It seems like almost everything is built by man. From the tallest skyscrapers in the world to manmade rivers and parks. The human hand is capable of constructing anything. This is an amazing feat in itself, but it is scary at the same time. Humans can imitate almost anything. They can imitate rivers, a forest, lakes—you name it, the human hand has probably constructed it.

In respects to nature that is made by humans (parks, trails, manmade lakes, dams, etc.) is it truly possible that it actually qualifies as nature? Do these aspects of nature have the same effects and benefits on the individual as if the individual were to immerse himself/herself completely in true, authentic nature?

Naturally, I went to google to try and answer this question. The first thing that came up in my google search was an article about 6 Man-Made Things You Totally Thought Were ‘Natural.’ This peaked my interest, so I clicked on it. I was surprised to find the following on the list:

1.       The entire Amazon Basin

2.       Most fruits and vegetables

3.       Yellowstone National Park’s Morning Glory Hot Spring

4.       Increase in earthquakes

5.       Most domestic animals

6.       Spiders

I thought this list was a little strange but it perked my mind for further reflection into the topic. When I think of nature, I think of the wilderness. Places, animals, plants, etc. that are truly wild. These places are not inhabited or built by humans. It is something that “mother nature” has mindfully put on the earth as part of the circle of life. The animals that inhabit these wild places are not domesticated. They are completely wild. They run free. The plants are wild. No man comes to trim the plants that are intruding upon others. They are free to grow as they please, in all their beauty.

Versailles

A garden of Versailles

When I think of places that are manmade, my mind randomly wanders to the Palace of Versailles. I visited Versailles about a year ago and was taken aback by the extravagant beauty that was the palace as well as the endless gardens that surrounded the property. However, even though Versailles was absolutely stunning and beautiful, it felt artificial to me. As if man was trying too hard to get nature to surround this palace. It did not feel natural.

A rose at a garden in Versailles

I did not feel the peace that I have felt when I have fully immersed myself in wild and un-tame nature. There was not any air of mystery surrounding the gardens of Versailles. It was all safe and known. It made me feel like I was not alone.

In contrast, when I have fully immersed myself in nature (for example, when I was in Switzerland), I felt peaceful. I could look around me and appreciate the world, what Mother Nature or some higher powers thought to put on this earth, and honestly just be in absolute awe of the beauty that surrounded me. At the same time though, it was scary. It is scary unplugging yourself from the real world. Leaving your phone behind, not talking to friends, and just being with nature. It is scary, but it is also so humbling. It is a feeling I would not change for the entire world.

My late night thoughts did have a point, I promise! In all, I do not think it is possible for nature to be manmade. I believe that men can make parks, rivers, and other seemingly natural establishments. This is better than no nature at all. However, this type of nature will never have the same effect as pure, untouched nature. There is something about experiencing nature that is humbling, clarifying and puts the world in perspective. These are characteristics that the human hand will never be able to imitate.  

Journal #4 - Vancouver, Canada

This summer, I had the amazing opportunity to intern at American Airlines as a Financial Analyst. This internship came with a wonderful perk—free flights! I travelled all over the world this summer, and all for free. It was truly a life-changing experience.

One of my favorite places I travelled to this summer was to Vancouver, Canada. I was only in Canada for a day, but the time I had here was amazing! I spent a lot of time outside here, and the scenery was absolutely beautiful. 

For the 24 hours that I was in Canada, the two friends I travelled with and I spent our day on the top of one of Vancouver’s most famous mountains, called Grouse Mountain. There was a lot of different activities to do up on the mountain; there was a Grizzly Bear Habitat, Zip Lining, Paragliding, a Butterfly Sanctuary, and various restaurants. Beyond this, there were plenty of places to hike, explore the mountain, and see some spectacular views of Vancouver.

In order to get up to the mountain, you have to ride a gondola to ascend to the top of the mountain. This ride was relatively short at about five minutes long. However, it was refreshing. We were in the thick of the forest. On our way up, all we were able to see were lush, green trees that looked like Christmas trees. It truly felt like we were immersed in nature.

Once we were at the top of the mountain, we got out of the gondola and explored on the mountain for a bit. My friends and I had purchased a pass to zip line on the mountain (I was so excited!), but that was not for a few hours.

Amidst our wandering, we stumbled upon the grizzly bear habitat. It was cool to see grizzly bears in person—they were much bigger than I had ever would have imagined. More than that, the bears had shiny coats, massive claws and menacing eyes. I honestly was intimidated by them.

We then hiked the mountain until we stumbled upon a spectacular view that looked over Vancouver. It was beautiful. The sky was crisp and blue, the pine trees were dark green in contrast to the bright green and lush grass. Everything seemed so clean. I felt like I was breathing in some of the purest air in the world. I stood and admired this view for a long time, feeling the cool breeze on my face, breathing in the crisp and clean air, feeling the warm sun on my arms. I soaked it all in. It is times like these that really make me appreciate the world we live in. Somehow, amazing views and landscapes like these were created, and man, they are amazing. It really puts life into perspective.

Look at that view!

After this, it was time for us to go on our zip lining excursion. I was excited! I had never been zip lining before, and having the opportunity to do so in such a beautiful place was beyond a dream. Once we got all trained by professionals and got the proper gear for the zip lines we were ready to go! The basics of zip lining is real simple—essentially, you can do whatever you want while you are zipping down the line (within reason of course) but when you are approaching the end of the line you have to bunch yourself into a ball in order to lessen the impact.

Views

The zip lining consisted of a five line circuit. From lines that flew us over the water to through the thick of the forest, from plummeting us at speeds that seemed faster than light to cruising slowly over the Vancouver forest, each line provided its own unique experience to our senses. The last line was my favorite. It was the longest line and I gained a lot of speed. However, my favorite part was the view. To my right was the Vancouver forest. As far as my eye could see were the lush, dark green trees. To my left was an amazing view of the lake, its water crystal blue.

The feelings I get when I surround myself in nature is honestly surreal. I always leave feeling so refreshed, appreciative of the world, and happy. It is humbling to think about the world we live in and the vast contrasts that do exist from place to place. The world has lavish and green forests, dry and rocky deserts, overpopulated and polluted cities, and fairytale-like rolling hills and crystal blue lakes. The list is never ending and each are beautiful in its own way.