Kevin Renfrow

Other than singing in the choir at church, today has been pretty dull. This boredom has gotten me thinking though.

As I’m sitting here at my desk looking up from my computer this afternoon, my eyes were suddenly captivated by the amazing vista outside. The greens, blues, browns, purples, reds, oranges, and yellows grabbed me. For a few seconds, even time was subject to the overwhelming power of the bright August day. I could do nothing but humbly watch the wind tickle the trees into motion and ripple the river’s surface.

Though it only lasted a few seconds, this brief moment of nirvana opened my eyes to something that I already knew. The Great Outdoors and I are inseparable. I can’t imagine a time when I would ever stop experiencing and living with the wilderness. I can’t imagine a future Kevin without hiking, backpacking, or camping.

After living in Southern California for a year, I’ve come to appreciate just how beautiful and rare Oregon is. With millions of acres of green forests of fir, spruce, alder, maple, hemlock, etc., the landscape is always alive with color. At my house, you can watch the tides transform the Yaquina River. Deer and other wildlife frequently visit our yards. Having lived on the Oregon coast all my life, I’ve never really stopped to feel just how connected I am to it.

With the end of summer and school creeping up on me, I’m making a promise to myself. No matter what happens and where life takes me, I will always return to nature and continue to foster that awe and amazement in what God has created. No matter what career I take, I will always take the time to break away from civilization and venture into the unknown - travel into God’s country. They say when you’re backpacking in the wilderness you live on God’s time. How true that is! Whenever I go on a backpacking trip I learn more about myself than when I left. You learn what kind of person you are and what you truly cherish.

Well, that’s enough transcendentalism for tonight. I need to get some sleep for work tomorrow. Before I sign out, however, I will leave you a video I shot of some fawns playing in our yard the other day. Warning: this video may be classified as cute.

A little about the author: Kevin is a student at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA. He loves the outdoors and enjoys backpacking, camping, hiking, biking, kayaking, and just about everything. When he's not in the great outdoors, he spends his free time working on web development projects and tinkering with computers. Kevin is currently serving as the Web Coordinator for the Western Region, Order of the Arrow, BSA.