I feel different. I don’t always feel like my friends really understand. What I find inspiring just doesn’t match. From a very young age, most of the experiences my parents and grandparents have purposely exposed me and my siblings to have involved the natural world around us. Admittedly, I do spend too much time tied to a computer, a phone, or a tablet. I do understand the attraction of the massive stockpile of interesting and entertaining apps and technology-based outlets. However, I also know beyond a doubt, what truly inspires me and what fills me with a euphoric sense of wonder. It has absolutely nothing to do with technology.

Watching the rushing water as it flows down a river. The sense of peace I get on a trail hike through the forest. Sharing space and time with bird songs and the sounds of small animals scampering about as I approach. The sounds of brush and sticks and dirt as it reacts beneath my feet with every step. These treasures that surround me truly make me pause and appreciate. Still, there is nothing I’ve experienced that offers the same feelings of peace, inspiration and wonder as the night sky has.

I scan the mysterious world above me and silently listen. I breathe in the cool, crisp air while I watch and wait.  Each night I mingle with regular players of the show like the North Star, the Big Dipper, and the moon. The vast canvas of pure beauty challenges me to decide where to direct my eyes. I must give in and try to absorb as much as I can as the stars twinkle like a celestial symphony orchestra.

Many would look to the universe above for a moment and quickly return to more important things like that next critical YouTube video that’s trending, or the next Tik Tok video that must be created and has the potential for record-breaking numbers of “likes”. For me, it’s not like that. From a young age, my Dad has exposed me and my family to the wonders of nature here on Earth and beyond. We have appreciated together countless sunrises and sunsets. We’ve sat on our blankets through the night to witness the magic of the rare lunar eclipse. We regularly use our own telescope to see what we can discover as we peer through the lens. Even watching the International Space Station pass overhead multiple times per week when the skies are clear gives me a feeling that I find difficult to describe.

I have a deep sense of appreciation for our planet and a tremendous sense of wonder about the universe around us. I am grateful for the fact that I have an opportunity to let my curiosity take me to a place that no computer or smartphone ever could. I am most grateful that my appreciation for the night sky has grounded me in a profound feeling of gratitude for what we have here on Earth.