"It is in your power to withdraw yourself whenever you desire. Perfect tranquility within consists in the good ordering of the mind, the realm of your own" - Marcus Aurelius
Walking up to this sign, I knew I was in for something challenging (which later turned out to be less challenging than I had anticipated). Something was just pounding in my chest, maybe it was the fact that I could hear the falls just roaring and crashing with what almost seemed like a stones-throw away. Now I have never been to Triple Decker Falls before, so this was my first time being there, I had no idea what I was in for. After reading the sign, I grabbed a walking stick - boy was I glad I grabbed one! I made my way down to the falls, and less than a minute later, it became a very steep slope. The entire way down all I could hear was the water rushing down and I looked around to see just where I was. Breathing in the fresh air, the mildly cold atmosphere grabbing my attention from the rest of the world. During that time, I almost forgot about all my problems and worries, like the rest of the world didn't exist.
Some people might see this as trying to escape my problems so I never have to deal with them, not true at all. If you've ever found yourself going through something stressful (maybe you are right now), you might find yourself wanting to not deal with it or think that there's no way to solve your problem. We all feel this way, that's normal! What isn't normal though, is not coming back to the problem once you've calmed down or felt better. You cannot avoid your problems, that is not healthy, and it most certainly will come back to bite you in the ass. I came to the falls with the sole intention of taking photos, nothing more. I didn't think that being this deep in nature would bring me a form of peace. I find photography to be therapeutic in its own way, just focusing on the composition, the exposure, making sure I have the right aperture for how much I want in focus, the usual. When you can take yourself out of your own world for a little bit, it opens you up to the rest of the world, it makes you feel much smaller in sense. The fact remains, this world is much MUCH bigger than one person. Because as soon as I saw that waterfall, I quickly realized how both MASSIVE and powerful it is, and how small and insignificant I am in comparison. And by insignificant, I mean: I am much smaller.
By the time I finally got set up and took all my shots, I was almost ready to never leave, except for the fact it was getting pretty cold and I did NOT have enough layers on.
Pro Tip: Always be aware of the weather and make sure you have at least 1 extra layer on if it's cold.
Oddly enough though, the cold was rather relaxing in a way. I learned in therapy that sometimes when you're in distress or just can't come down from your anxiety, cold helps snap your brain out of it faster. And as I was all packed up and leaving, I took one last look at the falls, to remind myself of how awesome nature really is.
As I then climbed my way up the ridge, I looked out in the vast forest further on where the sun was setting, and I just screamed, "AHHHHHHH! YESSSSSS!!!!!!". Let me tell you, it felt so good! Never have I done something like that in my life, and it just released so much pressure off my chest. If you ever find yourself in a place to just scream and shout at the top of your lungs, do it!
Nature will never judge you for letting out the things you've been bottling up inside. Read that again.
When it was all said and done, I look back on to this day and think, was I really there to take photos, or was it to do some self-care? Maybe both. All I know is, I got some great images, and was a better friend to myself after. If you've read up to this point you're probably thinking, okay great, but this hasn't answer the question in the title. You'd be right, but unfortunately my answer is different from yours, because this is something you have to experience for yourself, only you know the answer for yourself.
So go out there and figure it out for yourself, nature will always be waiting for you, you just have to get out there and see it for yourself. You ready?
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