I take in a deep breath of fresh air as the enclosing walls of society open up to make way for the feeling of freedom that nature gifts me. I feel a chill breeze pass through the area as clouds hover underneath the sun, blocking its warmth from the goose bumps on my skin. As I lie down in the freshly cut grass, sharp blades of grass, the aroma of the surrounding plants invigorates me. The thought of no technology or material possessions for a whole 30 minutes seems out of grasp for me. Sitting in the grass, I begin to worry about all my day’s work that lies ahead of me. Stress overcomes me. Then I take a breath, and visit another place. Somewhere in my mind where there is no pressure to get good grades or to do any work. Somewhere I can lie down and rest for a long time with no distractions.

The cool breeze blows through again and covers me with leaves. The cold dew stabs me like a million shards of icicles. There are so many varieties of these leaves in the environment. I pick up a couple of the most rough-looking yet vibrant colored leaves. I rub them in my hands for a while, feeling for a texture that will sate my desire for something unique, but I don’t find anything memorable. That was just one leaf, though. The entire bush and trees surrounding it, really the environment as a whole, overwhelm me with a feeling of equilibrium and peacefulness. I spot a plane passing overhead, its loud engine rumbling throughout the area. Can I truly escape, or am I always subject to the distractions of modern society?

I take a few minutes to just listen to the sounds around me. Usually I just tune them out, but this time I can identify the differences between each sound; the shrill calls of the birds, the constant chirping sounds the crickets make, which all come together to make a somewhat soothing sound to relax to. Time passes until I awaken from a lucid dream. My deep relaxation created a trance state in which I consciously fell asleep. I feel replenished and relaxed, but that won’t really help, because I still have homework to do.