I’m not much of a church goer; my visits are mostly limited to weddings and funerals. I find my “churches” while visiting the Grand Canyon in the middle of the winter, hiking along the north shore and on the west side of Kauai, and, more recently, scuba diving just about anywhere.

A few weeks ago, I was reading the Comics in the Sunday Chicago Tribune (section 9, page 4, 9/21/14). I stopped as I read the simple yet meaningful “Mutts” comic by Patrick McDonnell. The single panel pictured a dog and cat, back-to-back, gazing up at the trees, and included a quote by Pete Seeger: “Every time I’m in the woods, I feel like I’m in church.” (This was my startled awake moment; one that kept repeating itself as I snuggled in and tried to fall asleep night after night.) Even though I live quite close to the Lake, it has been a quite few weeks since I walked along the lakefront and lost myself in nature.

Much of my night-time thoughts since reading that comic have centered on a trip that I took to the Grand Canyon in early January 2010. It was unnaturally cold and, as a result, the two feet of snow that had fallen the week before had not yet melted. It was in the upper 20’s and, so, we bundled up in layers to start our National Park Service mule trip from the North Rim down to a small unheated cabin at the Bright Angel Creek Campground on the floor of the canyon. For the most part, we rode single-file as we descended 4,600 feet to the floor of the canyon. While riding, it was almost impossible to talk since doing so would require turning in the saddle and, given the steep descent, keeping my knees firmly planted against my mule’s belly was my priority. I remember it being so quiet and so beautiful. It was one of the most restful and reflective times of my life. We rested the mules without dismounting once in a while and, upon stopping halfway down to eat lunch, peeled off half of our layers as the day warmed. It was in the 50’s by the time we got to the campground. We spent the next two days hiking along Bright Angel Creek and then headed back up on our mules, adding layers of hats, gloves, and coats as we went.

A week in Kauai in Hawaii in June 2013 provided lots of opportunities to enjoy nature. Beginning at the end of the road at Kee Beach, we hiked along the Kalalau Trail on the north shore with the intent of getting to one of the largest waterfalls on the island. It had rained and we expected the waterfall to be spectacular. We navigated narrow trails on muddy topsoil for hours; only to give up when we realized that the river that we needed to traverse three more times had risen from ankle to waist deep. (We stood there staring at the river for at least 20 minutes before finally admitting defeat.) Encountering that force of nature taught me (well, scared me into realizing) that it’s alright to give up on a goal. (I’m very goal-driven and awfully damn stubborn; this was a great life lesson for me.) When we headed to Waimea Canyon on the west side of the island, we were so taken aback. It looks so much like the Grand Canyon. A very rigorous hike from there to look out over the Napali Coast reminded me that I can do almost anything if I set my mind to it. Anything is possible. It also reminded me that I need to bring more water than I think I’ll need.

We also did eight dives along the Napali Coast with the Bubbles Below dive shop. I discovered that being underwater is like riding a mule down into the Grand Canyon. Even though I always dive with a buddy, there is a quietness about diving that brings about self-reflection.

In fact, the experience was so awe-inspiring that I got in another six dives with Stuart Cove’s while at my time-share in Nassau this summer.

Being immersed in nature is just essential to my peace of mind and well-being.