Life, a complex, multifaceted experience we are all participating in at this very moment.

It is a journey of self-discovery where we grow, learn, and search for meaning.

We are given tastes of joy but are also faced with hardship, sometimes simultaneously. Life is often referred to in seasons,

stages, chapters or periods, often as a way to indicate there will be highs and lows and as a way

to delineate dawns and dusks. The people we encounter, the circumstances we find ourselves in, and the cards we

are dealt will all come and go, each having their moment and meanings in our existence.

If those moments leave us with heartache, anger, or a sense of what now in their wake,

we all tend to turn towards something to cope.

That something takes on many forms, supportive community, self-care, and spirituality just

to name a few.

But for so many around the world, across all timelines, nature has been the universal healer.

Nature provides a wealth of tangible benefits that are all deemed essential

to sustain our bodies, like water, food, and clean air, but the unseen benefits are equally as

beneficial to the spirit. When the worst happens, many of us find ourselves walking into the wild

in search of a bomb for the wounded soul.

But nature isn't just a nurturer. She is also an indiscriminate killer.

And all those seeking her open arms for salvation should be wary of her ability to destroy.

Welcome to National Park After Dark. Well, hello everyone.

I am certainly very excited for this episode because we've been talking about it a bit in the background, but that intro just really has me ready because I already

know it's a survival story and that intro just really solidified that. I know I'm creeping into

your territory a little bit today. This is going to be a multi-parter. How many parts? Who really

knows? I'm hoping for two. But before we get started,

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