Happy Sunday! Egidio from Through Brazilian Eyes is the host for this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge and the topic he’s chosen is also one of my many favorites – Into the Woods.

I will preface by saying that I haven’t been to a forest in a few years, especially in my neck of the woods, so my photos maybe dated. The reason I haven’t been to a forest the last couple of years is because I lost the privilege and opportunity to go anywhere by myself when my mom got medically discharged from the army. Before that, she would have one weekend each month in which she had to attend training.

This was a memorable hike in my books. As anxious as I was during those moments when I was walking down the aspen-lined path, I felt relaxed at the same time because I was what’s the word, “Forest-bathing.” By the way, I was anxious because I was lost. Yes, I had a phone and yes, there was the internet at the palm of my hand but with 1 GB of shared data, I didn’t dare to use it.

Instead, I focused all of my energy forward, knowing, eventually, I will find a way back. Yes, I indeed found a way back to the trailhead. It was farther than anticipated but I didn’t mind when I got to walk among these gigantic aspens.

Living in somewhat of a semi-arid climate in the intermountain region of the United States, I sometimes feel like I see more green when I travel than when I’m at home. These photos were taken during my travels in Japan. Other than, of course, the aspen forest, I don’t think I’ve ever felt like I’m in a forest until I visited Japan, where instead of seeing the ground, you see moss covering the ground like a lush green carpet.

Finally, I love visiting the forest in autumn. The colors there are so surreal and art-like. I find most of them are beautiful when being viewed at a distance. Walking among the colors is definitely not the same experience. I feel the colors don’t project as well as when I viewed from a distance. From my hiking experience in 2018, I felt the closer I got to the trees, the lighter and less pretty the leaves become.

By the way, these aspens are near the ones in the first gallery – the one where I got lost. Thankfully, it led me to this trail.