There is something sacred about nature. There's nothing like feeling the sun's warmth on your cheeks or hearing the gurgle of the creek as it rushes past. It seems so simple, nothing more than the plain dirt underneath your feet, leaves rustling in the afternoon breeze. Yet, it is so complex. Bees that we swat away pollinate the sunflowers in the golden meadow. The sunflower seeds become food to rodents, who are preyed upon by creatures looming in the shadows. Nature is a beautiful thing to watch, but we should watch it from a window inside a regulated air-conditioned room. Going on a hike through the woods may seem like an adventurous activity for some, but for me, it is not my idea of fun. Now, I have tried to pick up gardening. I mean, taking care of a plant should not be too difficult. However, when my family gave me a bouquet of roses on my sixteenth birthday, they all died by the end of the week. Considering everything I just told you, I am amazed to find myself on a two-hour walk through High Park.

As we walked through the trails, our shoes interrupted the silence with each snap of a twig and scuffle of the loose soil. Our guide unhooked the chain fence that guarded the precious garden inside of the special garden to let us in. There was an array of flowers and tall grasses. Our guide let us explore the garden in silence. Personally, I didn't know where to go, so I let my feet decide for me instead. I found a small trail through the garden and followed it. Soon enough bees began to buzz around, hopping from flower to flower, focusing on their work. Even though they did not notice the giant walking past them, I could not help but freeze in place. I am not exactly afraid of bees, but I don't like them either. We have a deal where if I don't bother them, they won't bother me. I slowly edged away from the bees further into the tall grass.

They called that tall grass area The Savannah. It's dry and hay-yellow, but most of all, tall. Each blade sprouts from the ground towering and proud before the tips lean against its weight and curl down over my head. It was not until that moment when I realized just how giant they were. I was nothing more than an ant beside them. I thought about their shorter and greener cousin the lawn grass. A plant I trample on every day without serious thought. I remind myself of all the days I've sat on it and plucked at each blade out of boredom without realizing the pain it must feel. I read somewhere that plants have feelings. A fact that you might dismiss, but when I was in The Savannah, surrounded by large blades, towering over me, I could not help but feel claustrophobic, cut off from the outside world and small. I shuffled out of there as quickly as I could. Once I saw my classmates, my heart slowed.

Nature is a strange thing. What both amazes us, also terrifies us, which is why we should respect it, take care of it and admire its beauty but I'll be at a distance.