The Presence of Place

When I go to Yosemite, I want to be alone with nature. As soon as I'm within the valley walls, a deep sense of peace settles over me. Every granite dome and peak looks glorious glowing in the sun. Even a nondescript spot on the valley wall below Yosemite Point is intricate with details, which I notice only because it is framed by tree branches where I'm momentarily standing. 

People travel to natural places in search for what is missing in their lives.

In a scenic wonderland like Yosemite, we are constantly being affected by what we see. Challenged. Enlightened. Surprised. Moved. If we open ourselves to the wilderness, it will work its way into us. Its light will shine in our eyes, its air will fill our lungs, and our experiences will resonate inside us for months.

When I go to Yosemite, I’m constantly hiking and listening until I’m overwhelmed by the grandeur of nature. I watch the everyday life of the mountains until I feel their presence, because then I can feel the yearning of my heart.

I try to walk slowly and notice everything around me. I try to move at the pace of nature. I try to be mindful of what is present in each moment instead of hurrying as fast as I can from one inspiring view to the next, which is a problem because there are so many vistas and I want to fit them all in before I have to leave. Often I have to remind myself to slow down. Whenever thoughts about the wilderness rise, I dawdle over them to see where they are leading.

It is helpful to be in a place like Yosemite that is both simple in focus and spectacular in presentation. I value the simplicity because it is direct, and so much of life is needlessly complicated. It’s just nature and me, with no buffers or filters in between. I value the spectacular because it pulls me out of my quiet reserve and inspires me to shout and dance with excitement, which I don’t do often enough.

When I’m here, my focus is completely on nature, and I try as best I can to understand. There are no people of the land, no cultures left to guide me with their insights or interpret what I’m experiencing.

When I need to rest my eyes from the magnificent mountains around me, I watch the ordinary world of the deer in front of me nibbling acorns on the ground, and I am moved to my depths. This land, this valley, this place has existed unchanged for thousands of years.

What I discover in nature opens me to mystery and wonder. As I deepen this relationship, I begin to understand why.