When I went on my quick trip last Thursday, I didn’t know what to expect but one thing I wasn’t expecting, I didn’t expect to be in an environment that was as quiet as this.

As I traversed curve after curve, admiring the beautiful scenery, I knew I had to find a turnout to park and step out to take some photos. As I stepped out of my car though, I was suddenly aware of how quiet it was. There wasn’t a single car in sight. There wasn’t airplane noises in the sky. There was no traffic noises. There was no man-made noises. It was deafly quiet.

For a moment, I felt disorienting but then, I decided to close my eyes, take a deep breath, and listened. At first, I heard nothing but then I began to noises like leaves rustling in the wind, birds pecking trees, and birds calling one other. The sounds of nature and it was coming from all around.

I started walking up the road and down a gravel path, listening to the birds while aware of the crunching of gravel beneath the soles of my shoes. For the many forests I’ve been to and hiked, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced this level of quiet. It was eerie yet surprising at the same time. It actually allowed me to practice mindfulness and be aware of my surroundings as well as all the wonderful noises nature has to offer.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge