Landscapes of the Sacred (3) - Kevin Covucci

In Landscapes of the Sacred, Lane discusses his trip to Mount Rainier, he remembers marveling at the beauty of all that surrounded him, and was fascinated by all the life and energy that the place held. One quote that Lane stated that really caught my attention was: "We had entered the place (Mt. Rainier) and it was reluctant to let us go" (Lane, 95) This quote really caught my attention because I too have had a similar experience where I felt like an odd connection or pull towards a certain part of nature. A couple of years ago I went with my family to the beach in South Carolina. I was off on my own enjoying the beautiful weather and wonderful sights. I was exploring this area near the dunes right by the beach when I came upon a huge overgrown forest that was situated on the other side of the dunes and stretched far out into a large lake about 200 yards from the sand dunes. Being the curious kid that I am I picked my way into the overgrown forest and began to walk around and take in the beautiful sights the wilderness place had to offer. I must have wandered around for about two hours when it started to get dark. I realized I should probably head back home, however, I could not let myself leave this wonderful place. I really do not know how to describe it beside that it felt like the landscape had gotten inside me and was controlling my feelings. All I wanted to do was explore deeper and deeper into the wilderness and see what other wonderful wildlife was just waiting to be discovered. This place had like a magnet attached to me and I could not shake the attraction I built to this place. I continued to go visit the place for the rest of our trip, and since my initial visit, I have actually explored the place on two other separate occasions. I entered the place and it is extremely reluctant to let me ago, even years after the fact.