Leaving the Woods

Looking down at my finger nails, I marvel at how clean they are. This is odd because they have not been clean for the last 5 months.
Leaving the woods and coming back to car-filled streets and crowded supermarket aisles is bittersweet. I am happy to now include showers, toilet paper and pillows in my life, but I am sadden at the realization that my world is no longer made up of simply my tent and the trees around it. There are so many luxuries in our modern day world that we take for granted--hot-water, refrigeration--but I found more things in Montana's woods that I had previously taken for granted than I could have ever imagined. A tree beside my tent was no longer simply a tree, but rather a brother whom I appreciated daily for shading my tent from sun, wind, snow, rain, sleet and hail. A stream was no longer simply a pretty sight and sound, but a reward at the end of the day. Yes, there are modern-day luxuries that we all take for granted, but more than that there is a natural world out there that many people never truly experience. It is a strange discovery to realize that you feel most at home in the woods, in the dirt among a community of living things. It is comforting to know that your home is all around you, always waiting and inviting you in. Working for the Montana Conservation Corps has been an interesting journey. I have learned more about myself than I ever expected or even originally wanted. Montana, thank you for sharing yourself; thank you for teaching me and opening my eyes to your wonders. I am forever indebted to you and will carry a piece of you with me always.

Melissa Chambers
CD CM