Idaho
Here’s a fun fact: 2019 was the first year in nearly 20 years that I did not leave the US of A. And a year ago this week, I was looking for the next place to call home with a focus on ones that offered a heaping dose of nature. This combination led me to…drumroll please...Boise, Idaho. I had heard a lot of positive things about this city so this Midwesterner decided to venture west for a solo exploration.
Boise has some charming places and highlights included my daily runs to the Boise Co-op, a super satisfying lunch at Wild Root Cafe, and an early morning weekend visit to the farmers market where I got to talk to a bison farmer about her life/family business. It felt like every other downtown storefront was a coffeeshop, which is not a complaint! I met up with my sister’s classmate who uprooted her urban family to Boise a few years ago and we did a fab hike with great views of the city. Lucky Peak State Park offered a tranquil experience and the water’s hue of blue reminded me of a good friend’s eyes - so beautiful and serene. Being a city dweller, I appreciated the numerous trails because I love to walk/hike. It was all a positive experience.
And then, the day before I was set to fly home, I decided to go on a driving adventure to explore the surrounding areas. I drove a big loop from Boise and ended up in Sun Valley. I started the day by grabbing breakfast at Rembrandt’s in Eagle. I’m in Idaho, so duh, I had to try the potatoes (and yes, they were yum.) It’s a cute space, one that is converted from a church. Then I hit the road for real and I made my way through Kirkham Hot Springs, Redfish Lake, Boise National Forest, Stanley Lake in Sawtooth National Forest, Ketchum and finally Sun Valley. Just me, my thoughts, podcasts, and music steeped in nature. Deeply breathing in the fresh and untainted air was blissful and you could even say I was on a high because I certainly felt that way. I made my dream of visiting a hot spring in the US come true (with awkward selfies trying to balance barefooted on the slippery rocks/look cute/find that right angle to capture nature’s beauty, to prove it.) Driving for miles and miles in the open landscape offered tremendous doses of vibrant colors, bodies of water, and mountains that provided me with incomparable feelings of freedom and relaxation. Unplanned was the word of the day and to cap it off in pretty much THE perfect way, I got to see the clear blue sky transitioning to oranges and reds as the sun set on my drive back to Boise.
Ultimately, the city wasn’t the right fit for me (combination of my age/skin color/single status ;), HOWEVER, I lived my nature fantasy in one day. You know that feeling of being carefree and not giving a damn? Me either, BUT that is what I felt that day (even though I was in unfamiliar territory and had no clue what my day held). I believe nature provides us a rare five senses gift. It is a wondrous thing, one of my loves, and backed by science! Extolling the virtues of nature deserves a dedicated piece, but suffice to say that ecotherapy has proven psychological and physiological effects from improving gut health diversity to lowering cortisol levels (read: STRESS) to providing a unique source of vitamin D for our body’s absorption. I can unequivocally say that this trip, with the feels/sights/sounds of nature, helped get me through our 6 month long Chicago winter. I not only survived but also thrived in my first non-food inspired trip. Only by a thread, of Mother Nature!
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Tips on Connecting to Nature [when you cannot go outside for some weird reason]
Open a window
Set your homescreen on your phone, laptop or both to a picture of nature
Create a Nature album on your phone or laptop and clip nature pics either from your travels or pics you love. Swipe through the pics anytime you need an escape into nature!
Walk outside, even if it’s not sunny and you live in a concrete jungle (like me!) It’s so tempting to hunker inside but even 5 minutes outside can be a great reset.
Visit places virtually. So many tours available right now!
Plan your next nature adventure. For those in Chicago, I love to escape to Garfield Park Conservatory, especially in the winter when it’s a tropical paradise.
What are your favorite Insta accounts to get a dose of nature? I like @AudobonSociety, @GPConservatory, @GranorFarm, @NatGeoTravel, @VisitIdaho, @VisitMontana, @VisitColorado
Buy an air purifying plant (easy to take care ones include snake plant and spider plant)
Comment below with your ideas!!!
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