Thank goodness for the Noland trail. In this little place called Newport News, in my even smaller bubble of CNU, I often find myself overwhelmed and disenchanted with the material, stressed, and crazy world I am stuck in as a student. I have always been athletic and into nature, so hikes and outdoor time are normal parts of my life. However, after the Camino, I found myself needing to escape to nature even more so after I returned. I am thoroughly convinced that I would not have been in as good of a mental state as I am or have taken the stress of college as well if it weren't for the Noland. It has been my place of escape, my preferred venue for a run or a date, or place to just get some sun and be alone with my thoughts.
It is truly a blessing to CNU to have such a place right next to our campus. I think the kind of escape it provides is necessary for people to operate to their highest capacity. This is why I think people who live in cities must be more stressed and less healthy than those who live closer to nature. People have an inherent longing and need to recharge and be amongst nature. It was, after all, a garden where man first dwelled, not in a building. We must not lose site of how important nature is as the world gets more and more urbanized. It is for the mental, physical, and spiritual health of humanity that nature is kept close and easily accessible to people, as the Noland is.
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