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The campus of Ohio University is all a buzz with the starting of the new school year, and, honestly, it’s a bit overwhelming. Cars whizzing by on the small, bricked streets during the day, police sirens whaling at night and all the shuffling to new classes with new people can leave one’s brain flattened like the empty Bud Light can on the street from last Saturday’s house party. If you need a break from the modern age and wish for peace of mind, then I recommend you achieve your bliss by going on a hike while the air is still a little warm.
The hiking trails at Strouds Run should be experienced by anyone who is looking for something invigorating for both the body and the soul. My friends and I especially enjoyed the Broken Rock Trail, but there are many to choose from. Some are bike trails as well as foot trails, but all are peaceful and beautiful glimpses of nature and what Athens may have looked like pre-colonization. My friend Jeremy once found an arrow head in this area dated about 3,000 years ago (though, we were later warned not to take any archeological findings from the sites) and it truly inspired us to know that the land we sit on was once home to many different people. Thus, it should be appreciated and respected.
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At the end of August, my friends Danielle, Jeremy and I found a hiking route at The Ridges (which is a beautiful and historical place, despite the ghost stories) that winds you through an encompassing and beautiful patch of forest. Sure, you can hear the band practicing at Pedan Stadium for some of the walk, but you’ll soon leave the modern world behind and retreat into the calming and blissful atmosphere of nature. Follow this trail long enough and you will find yourself at Radar Hill, which overlooks all of Athens from a remarkable and inspiring distance.
Here we walked silently for a long time while Jeremy strummed on his guitar until we found an already constructed and safe place to make a campfire, where we cooked pockets of meat and potatoes under the fire and watched the sun set behind the hills. The sky turned pink, then to purple, then to black. It was beautiful, and I suggest, as a citizen of the world and our community, that you experience it. Be sure to be safe and leave nothing behind.
What better way to respect ourselves and our land than to take time out of our hectic lives to find peace and quiet in nature? It is one of my favorite ways to find true bliss. With the way the sun has been shining and temperatures have been more than tolerable, if not a little too toasty, there is no excuse not to go outside after classes for the day are finished and experience the warmth of nature.
