Nemophilist

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Nemophilist - someone who loves forests or forest scenery; a haunter of the woods. It's a relatively rare word that describes a deep appreciation for wooded areas and their natural beauty.

There's just something magical, mysterious, even sacred about a forest.

Even as a little girl I thought so. I would go camping and hiking in many of the beautiful Minnesota State Parks almost every weekend in the summer with my mom. I loved being out doors and in nature, listening to the birds chirp and the bugs buzz, feeling the warm sun on my skin, smelling the fresh air. Even when we couldn't go out camping, we'd still go out hiking, as there were many natural trails in the area we lived.

When we moved to Idaho, we lived where there were hardly any trees, let alone forests or woods. I grew depressed without the beauty and magic and wonder of the woods. Eventually I grew up and moved away from there. And eventually I began to live in an RV. It should come as no surprise that when looking for places to stay, I always chose to boondock out in the wilds rather than pay money to hook up next to hundreds of other campers. I'd spend two weeks out in the wilds on my own, hiking and exploring the area and just appreciating the scenery.

It wasn't always forests I stayed in, as in the winter I went down to the desert where it was warm. But I couldn't wait for summer so I could go back north to Minnesota, and the Black Hills, and Yellowstone, and Montana, and Washington, and all those states with beautiful forests. The next winter I went down to Florida where there were more trees than the desert, and I worked on a bison ranch and greenery farm. I loved it, getting to be out doors and surrounded by trees all day.

I should have listened to myself when I was a little girl. I had wanted to be a park ranger when I was younger and living in Minnesota. I should have followed that dream and passion. But I suppose moving to Idaho where I lost all the forests and woods and there weren't as many options for park rangers or schooling for them, really hindered that dream. I suppose it's never too late to pursue a passion. But in the meantime, I'm content with just haunting the forests.