Nature heals

Jun 15^th, 2025 Sunday Cloudy

At the beginning of June, my husband and I visited Seattle, with the intention of touring Olympic National Park.

It was one of the most stressful trips in terms of planning. To start, we were not sure of its occurrence until mid-May, thanks to the uncertainty around funding and business travel. The situation was further complicated when my father-in-law had a medical emergency a week later, casting into doubt the possibility of staying for vacation afterwards. Meanwhile, I was busy with job interviews and projects around the house, so neither of us had much time to fully prepare.

Still, all issues were cleared up and we were on the bus to the airport, ready or not.

Our first few days were not as relaxing as a typical getaway, because in a sense, we did NOT get away. My husband got up early and worked till late to attend a convention and practice his presentation, the main reason for this journey, while I filled my hours with tourist attractions, catching up with an old friend, and shopping. We barely had time to sit together and talk, let alone enjoy some quiet moments. By the end of the second day, my husband got sick – a headache, a stuffy nose, and seemingly uncontrollable coughs.

Were we at home, I would insist that he pause everything and get a good rest. Unfortunately, this was not feasible, given his major task on the third day. He took some medicine, and pushed through.

At the same time, I started feeling under weather as well, and by the third day had a low fever with a scratchy throat – maybe because of the long commute into the city sitting on air-conditioned buses, maybe because of the exhaustion of wandering around the bustling downtown area and Pike market, or maybe because of the change of bedding that contributed to lighter sleep. In any case, I was secretly cursing the bad luck: how can it be that when we eventually finished work-related things and due for some fun that we both fell ill?

The clock did not stop though. On the fourth day, we checked out of the conference hotel, picked up the rental car, and started driving towards the national park.

An easy walk by Lake Crescent concluded our itinerary of that day. To store up energy for the next day, when an early morning and some relatively strenuous mountain hikes in the Hurricane Ridge area were on the schedule, we retired soon after dinner, hoping for less severe illness when we woke up.

Winding roads with stunning snow mountain views greeted us as we were heading towards our destination. Giant, pen-like pine trees guarded the forests, and a sniff of the crisp air filled my lungs with refreshing aromas that washed off the dullness. We began our stroll towards the peak, deciding to take breaks whenever needed.

It was not very long before we realized that, to our pleasant surprise, virtually all of our symptoms disappeared. My husband was able to smell the pleasing scent of the spruces, and did not cough even once until we got back to our car. My throat was no longer hurting, and I felt warm and light.

I do not know how to explain it. Miraculously, nature has healed us. Simply being surrounded by pristine landscape somehow restored the immunity balance of our bodies. Isn’t it amazing?

We are the children of Mother Earth, after all.