Wandering Where Wi-Fi Doesn’t Exist

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how messy life can feel sometimes—like your brain is a tangled-up ball of thoughts that no matter how hard you try, never seems to untwist. And while therapy and self-care routines are the best option in my opinion, there’s something almost magical about stepping outside and letting the world do some of the work for you.

I recently spent some time wandering through the mountains of Montana and Wyoming, and it hit me just how powerful nature can be for mental health. There’s something about the quiet rustle of leaves, the rhythm of footsteps on a trail, and the smell of fresh air that seems to unstick all the thoughts jammed in your brain. Even if just for a moment, your worries shrink down to the size of a pebble on the shore.

Grand Teton Mountain Range and Lake Taggert

I think it’s the combination of movement, sunlight, and being completely present in a place that doesn’t demand anything from you. Nature doesn’t ask for your deadlines or your to-do lists—it just exists, and in existing, it reminds you that you can too. (There's a whole other side of me that was made almost sad at the thought of how much humans negatively affect nature... but that's a topic for another day.)

It’s not always about big adventures either. Sometimes it’s just sitting by a lake, feeling the breeze, and watching clouds drift by. Or taking a five-minute walk around your block with zero agenda other than noticing the flowers pushing up through the cracks in the sidewalk. Those tiny moments are surprisingly restorative. I realized that this is something I have done my entire life. Having grown up out in the country in Texas, I spent so much of my childhood surrounded my nature and animals that I find myself craving the outdoors and the solace of just existing in it, especially when I am overwhelmed or feeling particularly anxious. 

A candid shot of me sitting by Lake Taggert in Grand Teton National Park

For anyone else who feels like life’s chaos is getting the better of them, I’d recommend finding your own “nature reset.” Even ten minutes can feel like a full mental recharge. And if you’re like me, you might leave feeling a little lighter, a little calmer, and a lot more ready to face the next mess that comes your way.

Because sometimes, the best therapy is just being outside and letting the world remind you that you’re part of something bigger—and that it’s okay to breathe.