Introduction: Reflections on Nature and Blogging

Hello everyone! My name is Owen Dunn and I am starting out my first semester here at Grand Valley State University as a transfer student in Computer Engineering. My schedule is packed full of three hour labs and their following reports, math, physics, circuit analysis, programming, statistics, and more, that will keep me busy 24/7 – so reading about adventures in the woods and thoughts on nature, that I see far too little, is a nice, brief hallucinogenic escape.

I understand that no matter how busy you are, you have to make time for the simple pleasures in life. Staring up at the dusk sky to take in a low, rumbling storm – feeling the gentle wind ripple your sleeves, accompanied by an almost indiscernible drizzle dropping on your head – calms me, makes me think I’m going to be okay. Taking moments to just walk and think can be very helpful. Personally, it’s the best condition to think about the big picture logically. They say don’t sweat the small stuff. I like to take a walk around campus at least once a week with the purpose of planning out the week ahead and thinking about my past, present, and future in relation to the previous week. What do I really want out of my life? What should I change to make the most of the time I have? Most of all, it’s just a good mental recharging activity.

Throughout a series of weekly blog posts at this location, by every Friday at midnight, I hope to put some of the best thoughts and reflections I have made about the place of mankind and myself within this planet, hurling through infinite space.

I have enjoyed nature my entire life. From my childhood growing up in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and then to Grand Haven, Michigan, I have spent a lot of time walking though woods, fields, cow pens, chicken coops, gardens, crop fields, parks, and enjoying the local flora and fauna. Catching bugs, climbing trees, skipping stones, having campfires, and walking over thin ice were and are some of my favorite pastimes. Due to this wealth of past nature-relational experiences, I will probably write most of my posts thinking years into the past and what it may tell us about today and where we are going. I hope you enjoy.