Everyday Wild

Introduction

Kathryn and I grew up in Decatur, Alabama, on the Tennessee River. We share a sense of adventure that comes from our sibling adventures into the woods and backwaters of North Alabama. The summer after my freshman year of college, I took a job that indelibly changed my relationship to nature. I was one of the first employees to arrive at Yellowstone National Park for the season in late May, and the snow still covered much of the park. My connection to this truly magical piece of landscape was immediate.

I remember writing a postcard to Kathryn after only a week, telling her about the cow, a female moose, I just witnessed giving birth to her calf—right under my nose. I had never even seen a moose before that day. I climbed onto the roof of a cabin with two coworkers to observe the miracle. For the rest of the summer, I would continue to watch the mama nudge and help her calf grow as they stayed near the cabin where the calf was born.

Steamboat Geyser, the world’s tallest currently active geyser, went off under a full moon only a few weeks later. My friends and I drove fifteen miles following the geyser’s steam as it rose hundreds of feet into the night sky, billowing under a big Yellowstone moon. You can’t help but feel connected to the planet in moments like those. Yellowstone is all about the activity of living and dying, all day every day. As far as Kathryn and I are concerned, it is the most sacred place on the planet.

Kathryn followed suit two years later, when she spent her first summer in Yellowstone. She had a similar experience, only the ancient pull of Yellowstone wouldn’t release her, so she spent almost ten years in the area. Kathryn’s art will always nod to the natural world around us; her heart will always be in the highlands.

When we both returned to the south—me to Tennessee and my sister to Louisiana—we were changed. Only then did we truly begin to fully appreciate the brilliance and beauty of the natural world that surrounded us in new homes as well as in our birth state of Alabama—but also everywhere we went! That ancient call to get outdoors hasn’t weakened. In fact, as we’ve gotten older, we’ve found it more important than ever. The great outdoors is the only place to recharge and rekindle a sense of well-being. It is a reliable place to pause and be present in our bodies and minds. It is also an evergreen classroom, a place to learn about science and the laws of nature at work all around us. Nature’s beauty often goes unnoticed in our daily lives, in turn depriving us of a sense of wonder and the profound connection to the earth that our lives depend on. Has your FOMO ratcheted up yet?

Kathryn’s interest in Buddhist traditions—which relate so much to our interconnectedness with the earth and each other—and my deep-rooted fascination with philosophy—especially the Eastern traditions—have informed a lot of the content in the following pages. While we both believe in the positive power of transcendental meditation, we both find that everyday moments of mindfulness are easily accessible and something to be pursued as we navigate this busy world we all live in.

Kathryn and I have collaborated in spirit in so many ways to form our worldviews, learning from and with each other throughout our lives. Our collaboration on this book has been an exciting act of uncovering the opportunities for wonder found just beyond your front step. We hope this book gives your mind a place to take a beat to contemplate the grandeur of the natural world and piques your curiosity. Nature is our ever dependable access point to mindfulness. Enjoy the wonderful illustrations and lessons in these pages, then go outside and just be with your wonderful world.

Bo