no shoes, no service, no problems.

Growing up with boys meant that I was constantly outside as a little girl. We were constantly getting dirty, playing games outdoors such as jail-break and football, or riding four-wheelers from dusk until dawn. Growing up in that atmostphere was probably my greatest blessing because it has made me into the adventurous person that I am today.
When growing up with the boys we would always find a way to have a "clubhouse" whenever we were kids. Having this clubhouse was a way for us to escape from our parents to a place where they couldn't go or find; a place that was all our own, like a hidden garden of eden for children. Though it sounds as if we built these clubhouses like many kids built theirs, ours was completely made by God and Mother Nature. Our clubhouses included nothing but trees, vines to swing on, water springs and creeks to drink and wash off in and paths to run on and our friends. Like any other kids, we had rules to get in to the clubhouse and roles that we each played; being the only girl, I was never the leader, I was always the princess.
Our clubhouse looked much like the picture attached of the opening in the trees with the vines that you could swing on to get from one "island" to another by swinging over the creek.
However unlike my childhood, at age 20 I most likely wouldn't look at a creek and an opening within trees in the woods and think of creating a clubhouse. I do not have the same imagination I did in my younger years, nor do I have the want to create a clubhouse. Although I do reflect back on the times I had in our clubhouse, I do not get the urge to create a new one.
I do still find a sense of imagination and creativity when I explore and find myself outdoors. When I see a tree standing alone, or several with sunlight shining through, or leaves falling to the ground, I see creativity and beauty everywhere. I get the urge to take a picture and find the creative ability to find the correct lighting and angle to capture the beauty. On top of pictures, my Public Relations interest kicks in and I find the creativity to want to host an event in a specific place found within nature because of its beauty and the effect it had on my creative abilities in hopes that it would effect others in the same "nature," pun intended.
The idea that I don't see nature in the same way I did as a child, and the fact that my imagination has changed so much but still exists within me, makes me wonder what other factors I see differently now than I did as a kid.
Now nature inspires the way that I decorate a home. When I spend time outdoors whether I'm hiking or fishing, I often find flowers that would inspire a picture to hang in my future home or the set up I would make with an earthy tone and a center piece. This type of nature brings out my inner peace and serenity. It gives me a calming feeling, it's almost as if everything dissappears when you're outsite exploring. It is just you in that moment where you are, you and your thoughts. The imagination and creativity you can pull from nature brings out who I am as a person. It brings out who I was growing up in a clubhouse, to my future PR career, to the way I decorate and relax when floating through the easy days of life. Nature can become inspiration for anyone, I believe. You just have to let yourself go, let yourself think about whatever you want and just notice everything. Notice the streams, the trees, the birds, the flowers and just allow yourself to be whoever you want to be, wherever you want to be, in that moment. Once you can enjoy that, I beliecve you can embrace your life as is a little bit more when you return to reality.