Inquisitive Adventures

(A Winter Hiking Reflection)

It’s quiet. Snow crunches under my feet. The world is still dim, and the cold air meets my face as I wait for the sun to wake. There is something deeply peaceful about being welcomed by nature. 

I set out this winter with a quiet intention: to look for beauty and wildness in a state that is often labeled as plain or boring. I’ve always struggled with that word. Boring, I’ve come to believe, has far more to do with our inner lives than with the world around us.

Here I am at seven in the morning, standing on a nature path, waiting for the sun to rise. The morning is still. The quiet carries a kind of peace that feels almost healing. There is something about being present with creation in these early hours that settles the soul. Scripture reminds us of this in Romans 1:20: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities… have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.”

I know there are people who don’t enjoy the outdoors, and that’s okay. I am not one of them. Nature for some reason is where I feel most alive — perhaps because of the silence, or the wonder, or the sheer magnitude of creation. Our world often defines meaning through noise, accomplishment, and constant novelty. But I’m learning there is purpose in what we call boring.

How did we come to believe that stillness is something to avoid? That quiet is unproductive? Standing here, waiting for the light to shift, I want to gently flip that label. There is healing in stillness. There is meaning woven into creation when we take the time to notice it.

As I embark on this journey of finding wild places in the midst of winter. I am learning some may call this boring. I call this being fully alive.

If you’re curious about the tools or items I use on these quiet adventures, I’ve linked a few below

This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only share items I genuinely use and love.

My Winter Walking Essentials:

Winter boots

Winter Leggings

Winter Face Mask

My Favorite Water Bottle