There is a story told of a man who in 1847 learned that gold had been discovered in Southern California. This man subsequently sold his farm and set out to search for gold, never to return. Years later, the new farm owner constructed a mill on the property’s small stream. Shining flakes of gold were discovered in that stream and continue to produce gold even to this day. If only the original owner had explored his own backyard.
As a Physician Assistant (PA) with three young children, life can feel overwhelming. Managing a hectic clinic schedule, juggling the logistics of music lessons, school projects, pickups and community activities (with an unpredictable, protracted pandemic), can stretch my limits to a max. How do I try to keep it all together? My solution is getting outside with my family and exploring our own “backyard.” Here are suggestions to help you find your own golden nuggets:
Outdoor play provides the power to be creative. Among the branches of our backyard trees, we find pinecones, bark, dry grasses and twigs and transform them into an enchanted fairy garden. Acorn tops make beautiful food bowls, dry twigs are used for furniture, and pebbles in the dirt make a path of stepping-stones. We wonder at nature, stuff our pockets full of chestnuts, touch lichen and foliage, and collect snails to race on the driveway.
Outdoor adventures ROCK (literally). Exploring local geological wonders allows an up-close education in geologic events that formed our landscapes. Three hours south of my home is Utah’s West Desert. On the surface this land appears to be empty and lifeless. However, if one takes the time to uncover the mysteries of this desert, they will find lava tubes made from cooled molten lava. These tubes are deep, dark underground tunnels straight out of an adventure movie. We also spider crawl through slot canyons and treasure hunt for geodes, wonderstone, obsidian and sunstone. The quiet surroundings take my mind from the daily grind and allow me to be present and be more in touch with the land I live in. When we return home, we tumble the rocks and read books to identify our findings.
Nature is beautiful. Lastly, a month ago we hiked to a magnificent and sacred cliff dwelling, Moon House ruins. Built in 1264 AD, this 49-room structure is the largest prehistoric dwelling built by the Mesa Verde and Kayenta people. Nothing compares to the sounds of solitude while following stone walls (cairns) down winding, smooth red-rock paths under a bright-blue sky. Ancient corn cobs in stone granaries, pictographs scattered on numerous walls, and moki steps (hand and footholds up vertical walls) leaves one in awe of this once thriving ancient civilization of rock climbers and cliff dwellers.
Although it may seem that every weekend is an incredible family adventure, it is not. Weather gets in the way, kids melt down, and sometimes the wheels fall off (our trailer wheel did fall off), but it is all part of exploring our own backyard. As a busy medical professional, perhaps stepping out more into your immediate and near-by outdoor environments, experiencing the sights and sounds of nature, and creating family or individual wilderness adventures can bring a fresh, recharging perspective?—it certainly has for me and my family!
Do not be like the foolish man who abandoned his home in search of something that was right in front of him. How many nuggets of gold are you going to find in your own backyard?
Keri Holyoak resides in Millcreek, Utah with her husband and three young children. Together they explore the roads less traveled throughout the West. Since 2005 she has worked with Dr. Joseph Jensen at the Dermatology Center of Salt Lake.