I have always felt very connected to the natural world. As a child, it did not matter if the sun was shining or if it was raining, I always wanted to be outside. I have a strong connection to nature and to fresh air and I value any time I get to spend outside even if it is just a short five minute walk. Being born and raised inConnecticut, I always had access to lots of areas to play outside and have spent a large portion of my life in the fresh air. Before transferring to College of Charleston I had never spent an extended period of time in a place like Charleston in terms it’s “city feel”. Although compared to most cities Charleston has lots of open spaces and green areas, compared to home it feels like a big city to me. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely adore Charleston and everything it has to offer, but I can’t say I don’t look forward to my long run in the woods when I visit home. My connection to the outdoors and to nature is very important to me and I believe it has a large impact on my wellbeing and happiness. I feel that being able to walk outside and go for a short stroll even just around Marion Square boosts my mood drastically and there are so many places where people do not have that opportunity. We are all so lucky to have the privilege to have access to somewhere live Charleston where we can enjoy nature, it is so important to utilize that privilege. Today I was able to take a walk down to the battery and sit and look out at the water for some time. It was so clear and evident that after 10 minutes of no phone, screen, or distraction my mind and mood was so much more clear than it was the 10 minutes prior. Midterms are approaching and I am the busiest I have been all semester but regardless of all those stressors, 10 minutes in nature and breathing in the fresh air can make a huge difference on your day. I think it is so important for everyone to have some sort of relationship with nature, and if you don’t then at least have an open mind about creating a relationship with nature because I would be absolutely shocked if it did not have a positive influence on your life.