Wyoming Respite

My husband and I recently took a long weekend and to camp in Wyoming. We live in a city and just wanted to go someplace more isolated and restive. As introverts, we crave quiet and, well, not people. Wyoming has beautiful scenery and pastoral countryside. Everyone has heard of Yellowstone, but we were in the opposite corner of the state. Yellowstone is beautiful, but too far from home for a weekend trip.

We took our dogs with us, arranging for a pet sitter for our cats and birds. We found a shady campground among a mixed forest; there was a slight breeze and the weather was perfect in Medicine Bow National Park. When we first set up our camp my husband saw a red fox trotting through our campground. Antelope were plentiful in the open fields and sagebrush.

In many prime camping spots, I saw campers and horse trailers. I was so impressed to think of the rough-looking men camping with their horses. I thought of them riding their horses in the early morning, feeling at one with the world, in a riding meditation. How idyllic! When I mentioned this, my husband snorted. It was hunting season and the horses were there to pack out the carcasses of the animals they killed. I’m so naïve (*headslap*).

As I prepared dinner our first evening, I felt so peaceful and, well, happy. Everything feels better when we suspend our usual life and walk in nature. It seems that nature cleanses our souls and energizes us in a fresh and contented way. It helps us remember who we really are and that we are connected to everything around us. I could feel that we were not alone, but the animals in the woods around us didn’t bother me. I felt safe and contented. The next morning, I heard a large animal walking and snuffling through our campground, probably a moose, from the fresh scat I saw. I went back to sleep – it was way too early for me – secure in knowing that our presence didn’t disrupt the wildlife.

My husband I headed home emotionally balanced and settled. Our dogs went home tired and satisfied. I have gratitude for the planet, the wildlife, the national park system, and the wildlife around us. We are so lucky to have such beauty available to us.