Nature

The farthest I've ever been from a city was out visiting the Rusty Ruins. Ever. Evereverever. So now I'm kinda wondering what I'm really doing out here. I've been out here now for three days. Shay's directions are so confusing, and I've had some narrow brushes with disaster. I've printed a copy of Shay's directions here:

Take the coaster straight past the gap,

until you find the one that's long and flat.

Cold is the sea and watch for breaks.

At the second make the worst mistake.

Four days later take the side you despise,

and look in the flowers for the fire-bug eyes.

Once they're found, enjoy the flight.

Then wait on the bald head until it's light.

Just today I almost smashed into the ocean because I wasn't paying attention; I didn't watch for breaks. Anyway, besides going on this bogus ride and trying to convince myself that what I'm doing is right, I've taken time to notice the nature around me.

This is a Rusty-style flatscreen photo I took of the cliff that was almost gravesite.

After I took this photograph, I couldn't help but notice how, well, pretty, everything was. The wild has its own unplanned, uninterupted beauty that makes the city look kind of dull in comparison. It has a splendor, a magnificence that you can't find in the city.

On the other hand, the city has beds, buildings and a hole in the wall that gives you clean clothes and medicine.

But while I'm out here, I just get this feeling of belonging, this connection to the wild. It feels so free out here. I hate that I'm alone without friends, robots or anything else the city has to offer, and at the same time I love everything about it.

Wow, I really think I need some sleep.