It’s been said that there are five environments that you can live in on this planet: The City. The Desert. The Mountains. The Plains. And The Beach.
Oversimplified? Perhaps. But in a 2008 commencement speech Patton Oswalt shared this life advice he received around the time of his high school graduation.“You can live in combinations of them. Maybe a city in the desert, or in the mountains by the ocean. Or you could choose just one. Out in the plains somewhere, perhaps.“But you need to get out there and travel and figure out where you thrive.“Some places you’ll go to and you’ll feel yourself wither. Your brain will fog up, your body won’t respond to your thoughts and desires, and you’ll feel sad and angry.“You need to find out which of the Five Environments are yours. If you belong by the ocean, then the mountains will ruin you. If you’re suited for the blue solitude of the plains, then the city will be a tight, roaring prison cell that’ll eat you alive.“He was right. I’ve traveled and tested his theory and he was absolutely right.”Where do you thrive? For this ranger, it’s a combination of the mountains (and their forests) with the desert.
The National Park Service works to protect and preserve sites across these five environments and beyond, providing opportunities for all of us to discover the essential connection we have with this planet, ourselves, and the stories that have shaped them. Bryce Canyon National Park NPS Photo
“Truer Words”