Last weekend, I spent a few days camping all alone. Though I was in a beautiful little town on the Chesapeake in Maryland, surrounded by some of the kindest strangers I have yet to come across and have the pleasure to meet, I spent a few days alone with my thoughts, my tent and my camera.
It was a refreshing contrast to the redundancies of daily life. At one point, while exploring the Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge for nearly three hours, I didn't see another person once.
I did, however, see trash in the water, on the trails, and in the gardens.
This wildlife refuge is located on a small island located down a long, winding narrow stretch of road in a town with one gas station. I didn't cross paths with another person for an extended period of time, yet I saw ample evidence of the presence of man in the area.
People have to go out of their ways to get to this beautiful little slice of heaven and history, yet can't carry out what they carry in. It truly is remarkable how ignorant people can be. Though it is discouraging, it is also a sort of empowering; the motivation to go out into the world and be the positive difference that I want to see in it.
Nonetheless, I felt pure bliss in this little corner of Maryland. I saw a few turtles, took a few hundred pictures, spent time alone with my tent and thoughts, and found friends in strangers. I found this little getaway to be just what I needed - solitude in nature and a short hiatus from the daily routine.
Though I am uncertain what the next few months hold for me, I am determined to make the most of this peculiar time of my life.
Rock, Hall Maryland - one of the nicest places I've ever had the pleasure of getting to know and love (but really, Reader's Digest composed a list of the Top Ten Nicest Towns in America, and Rock Hall ranked #3).
