I go to the mountains...

I saw these 2 quotes today on one of my favorite blogs...

{Climb the mountains & get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. -John Muir}

 {God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars. -Martin Luther}

This was extremely timely, given that I had a minor freak out about our trip to Alaska this summer. I'm usually on the ball with planning, etc, but I booked our flight 6 months ago and I'd forgotten about the other details until, um, yesterday. We'll be camping, which usually means minimal planning & a lot of flying by the seat of our pants, but Alaska poses some planning difficulties:

• my fear of losing our luggage/gear on our flight (flights rather - we have 3 legs to make it to Anchorage & one of our layovers is only 30 minutes, gulp)...*
• packing for an airplane ride instead of just throwing everything in our trunk (condense! condense! condense!)...
• coordinating getting our 'stuff' to Wonder Lake in Denali (5 hour trip accessible only by National Park bus - strategically difficult for us b/c we have a teeny weeny tent that we usually only sleep in & keep all of our stuff in our car)...
• worrying about reservations at popular campsites...
• trying to figure out how to pack & plan for Alaska's unpredictable weather...
• the list goes on...
• *Sidenote: has anyone ever shipped their luggage ahead of time? pros/cons? recommendations? Share your experience in the comments!

When I read those 2 quotes above I was reminded why we love camping so much:

• to be in the midst of the beauty of creation, without distractions of email, blackberries, television, traffic, bills, dental school applications, etc....
• to stretch our legs & seek out adventure not because we're worried about an exercise regimen, but because the mountains are there, begging to be explored & experienced...
• to reconnect with one another (it's hard to avoid each other in teeny tent!)...
• to go to sleep with the sunset & wake up with the sunrise (we may have to modify our sleeping regimen in Alaska given that it's light during most of the sleeping hours!)...
• for the quiet & stillness that can only be experienced away from our everday life...

Although the logistics are difficult, I know they will be entirely worth it when we wake up to Mt. McKinley next month (that is, if the weather cooperates - and none of my planning is going to change our chances of seeing the mountain!). Even if it rains the entire time we're in Alaska, we will still be experiencing an entirely new part of our beautiful country & taking time to step away from the things that complicate our lives.

...Now... back to planning! & praying for good weather!

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{Chorus of The Woods - Patchouli}

a.k.a. our roadrip/camping theme song

I go to the woods to feel good

I go to the river to let my mind run

I go to the mountain to gain perspective

I go to the fields to open up

I look to the lake to reflect

I look to the sky to imagine

I travel highways to go somewhere new 

I go to the woods...

{The earth & its fullness are the Lord's. - 1 Corinthians 10:26}

{You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. - Isaiah 55:12}

{The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. - Psalm 19:1}