A Week In The Woods Is Just What I Needed

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For as long as I can remember, there’s been something alluring about the woods. Growing up, I was a military brat. I lived in base housing in quite a few areas around the world before I joined the Marines. 

Traveling and changing schools were all part of the game. I didn't mind that life at all. Of all those experiences traveling, one of my favorite places was Pax River, Maryland. The base itself was large and positioned on the Chesapeake Bay. I remember pulling up to the heavy-rocked shoreline and getting my fishing pole from the back of my dad’s dark green ranchero. My dad’s friends would show up too. They’d drink. They’d talk about tits and stuff. Dude stuff. I'd catch the baitfish and fuck around with the fire near the camp. I was a huge fire guy. Still am, tbh. 

When I wasn’t on the embankment, I was in the woods. Right behind the townhouse where we lived, a rich forest- deciduous in nature- with tall trees, hanging branches, and creek beds that called me like a hooker on Grand Theft Auto. I would take my bike on the barely-worn trails and spend most of the afternoon out there. Me, my pal James Cook, and my best twin friends, Louie and Norby, ran the roads or trails in this case. The twins had a Marine dad so they knew a few tricks of the trade when it came to fighting and wrestling. If you wanna get good at getting your ass kicked, become friends with twin boys who are the sons of a Marine. That’ll do it. 

I loved being out there in the woods. Looking back, it probably wasn’t because of the “woods’” activities. It was because I was with friends, had some freedom, and didn’t have to be home until the street lights came on. 

Now, I’m a grown-ass man who has kinda lost his affinity for the outdoors. After working in the woods for a decade, I haven’t had a desire to be out there for nature’s sake. I do, as a dad for 17 years now, have an intense desire for quietness. The woods offer that. 

This week, I went to the woods for the first time in a while. When me and my pal pulled up to the cabin we stayed in, I knew that I had picked the right place. It wasn’t because the cabin was on the river that connected two of the largest ponds in Southern Maine. It wasn’t because there were two kayaks waiting for us to use. It wasn’t because there were Golden Tee and Big Game Hunter arcade games in the cabin. It was because the birch and pine trees blocked all the sound that didn’t come from a bird’s beak or a chipmunk’s call. 

Quietness. I missed having silence except for those sounds of nature. At night, the temperature in Maine would dip into the high 50s. The cabin had lofted bedrooms on the top floor. After being warm as shit throughout the day, the entire loft was cooled off by a few rain showers that swooned the 85-degree heat back into the 60s in an instant. The relative chill was delightful for this Texas guy who wakes up with a 90-degree real feel for months at a time. I just sat there, cool and comfortable, and looked at the ceiling, trying to listen to the ample nothingness just beyond the roof. It’s what I needed. I traced the knots of the pine ceiling with my eyes. In and out, in and out.  The knots on the planks were like a maze that took decades to make. The tracing left me calm. I don’t get calm that often. 

Think about that. Really think. When is the last time you just sat in silence and thought about being calm? I'm not talking about sitting there thinking about work; what you need to do that night; what needs to be scheduled for next week; how you’re going to get that next thing you’re chasing. I'm talking about just sitting for the sake of your sanity. 

A few weeks ago, I read this article that mentioned pregnancy and the burden that the additional weight can be over a 9-month span. When you’re pregnant, the belly obviously gets heavy. Them shits can weigh like 50-60lbs and there’s no respite. The article talked about how having a partner hold the belly up from behind you can relieve the pain for a moment, allowing you to breathe easily, and forget that you are pregnant just for an instant. Now, I don’t know if that’s true but it paints a great picture. 

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To close up shop, life has its doldrums. There's no doubt about that. Hell, I’ve been as doldrummed (not a word but that’s ok) as I’ve ever been for over a year. It was time to get a little relief. This week was that belly hold for me. I guess after all them words, my point is I encourage you to find something that holds your belly up. You deserve it, you beautiful fucker. Head to your woods soon.