Green Lake

This summer I was lucky enough to get the chance to visit Green Lake, (not to be confused with Blue Lake- the music camp I went to), because my oldest brother was being deployed to Korea for a year and I was there to see him off. It is in fact the same place that he was married at. Okay so usually I don't really like camping, especially seeing as it was just me and my mum, but despite the tent made for either one person (or for a couple?) it wasn't so bad. In fact, I found myself alone much of the time which is surprisingly hard to come by. I also got to see my niece which was worth it because she'd just started walking and she's pretty cute! During the day we went to the craft place and painted. I finished two little bunnies that I put in my garden. Then in the evening we visited with my brother, niece, and sister-in-law. We stayed about four days but funnily enough, what I enjoyed the most was exploring alone.

There was a huge field, over 20 acres, all covered in prairie grass and wild flowers right by our campsite. As I was wandering along beside it I realised that there was a  path mowed through the middle! I decided to follow it and see where it went. Before long I got rather hot so when I came to one of the few trees in the field I sat down underneath and did my Bible reading. It was so nice and I felt as if I were the only one for miles around. Eventually I continued down the path until I got to where I figured the middle was. There were a few other paths but I knew the one that would bring me almost right to my camp site so, happy to have found a place of my own, I ran all the way back thinking as I did so that I would be back very soon. When I first got the chance I made an excuse saying I was going to go practice my viola and I ran off. I chose my practice spot carefully, ending up somewhere near the middle and behind a clump of tall plants so no one could see me.

At first I was a little nervous because, though I was quite a ways in I could still see people on the dirt road every so often and I didn't want to draw attention. I started out quietly. Gradually however, I had a need to fill the air with music and I built up to the loudest I could go. I forgot about my worries and just played to my hearts content. I felt completely alone and I was happy. I practiced until the sun went down and then I realised I'd have to remember my way in the dark. I thought I'd been careful in placing my case down the path that would bring me back but I must have gotten mixed up. I began trudging down the one I believed to lead back but turned around when I came to a clump of trees I didn't recognise. Not at all discouraged, I went back to where I started and, feeling sure I was correct this time, tried that one. Well, I went all the way before I saw it ended in the running path before I turned back for the second time. I was getting tired by then because my 20 pound viola case (it was a loaner, made of metal so one could throw it down a staircase without hurting the instrument) weighing me down. I probably took about two more wrong turns, one of which took fifteen minutes to correct. As I walked I got a bit frightened as one does at night when they're alone. By then the only light left was whatever the moon provided so of course the rustling in the bushes was the boogie man out to get me, not a common forest animal. There were a few instances I ran- both to hurry it up, and once because I was scared of the shrubs. After trying what seemed like all the possible routes and after my arm seemed as if it might fall off, I finally ended up on the correct one which I should have known all along because of the office light. A bit relieved but already laughing at myself I found mum waiting by the camp fire. I told her I got lost and she, not being the worrying type, said she wondered if I might and didn't question me further. I asked if she had heard me and I was surprised when she said not at all. This was confirmed the following day when I got back from practicing and my family informed me that they had been on a walk and would have invited me along but they couldn't find me. They knew I was in the field but couldn't hear me. They went up in a tower to look from above, but they couldn't see me. I was completely hidden from everyone.

On a separate occasion the next day I went back (now not labored with my case) to explore some of the other paths. I could hop, skip, and dance as I pleased, and sing as loud as I liked, knowing no one would hear or see me. I ran as fast as I could until I was completely winded. It was the first time I felt free in a long time. I went everywhere and when I got bored, found the tower that the others had looked for me from earlier. I climbed up and stayed for a long time writing, thinking, and enjoying the beauty of it all. Finally the sun was setting and, not wanting to repeat the same mistake twice, took off sprinting back to the tent.

There were other moments I enjoyed, like reading in the little chapel, and wandering through the gardens looking for the camp cat, but none were as peaceful nor as special as my field. And yes, the paths were mowed intentionally; there were signs up to show what kind of plants grew so I know that it was meant as a nature trail. But since I was the only one who used it (except for one family who didn't linger) I call it my field and I will always go back there, every time I visit. I have some pictures I was going to post, but I've had trouble uploading them so that will have to wait for later in the week.