Nature Essay

It was right after taking notes in class when I received the worst news possible. Our teacher notified us that we would be going on a nature walk. Me, not being too fond of nature, wasn't too excited, but I decided to give it a shot.
Emerson says that we ought to "go in solitude" (Nature 219). As a class of thirty plus students, that was a goal impossible of being achieved. We proceeded out of the classroom and into the sun that shone brightly. It was unbelievably cold inside the classroom so my body rejoiced under the rays of the sun. I feared for the life of my hair, due to the relevance of the humidity. We made our way into the dense foliage of the T. L. Hanna woods. The "envoys of beauty" (Nature 219) was interrupted by the many conversations of the students and the ROTC obstacles that we often ran into. Emerson and Thoreau describe the woods as being peaceful and full of beauty, but this was far from reality. It was hard to acquire peace when surrounded by Sonic cups and empty containers of substances that aren't permissible on campus. Because the woods are located beside Highway 81, the sound of cars zipping by wasn't too pleasant either. After what seemed like a long period of time, the sun became my worst enemy. Every move I made caused me to be attacked by an angry mob of thorns that ripped through my flesh. I continuously ran into tree limbs that didn't want me to pass to the other side of the path way. They proved this by breaking off in my hair and slapping me in the face. Some other students and I relocated to a secluded area, trying to be as peaceful as possible when we all of the sudden, we get word that the rest of the class had deserted us. We made our way out of the woods to find a so-called rescue team of two other students that were coming back for us although they moved far from hastily. We returned to the class room to find every one writing rough drafts to the upcoming essay assignment. We were bombarded with questions as to where we had been and how we were left behind, as well as chuckles and smirks from other class mates that thought it was funny.
Thoreau says "If a man does not keep pace with his companions perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer" (Walden 244). Maybe this was my problem, I was definitely not enthusiastic because unlike the other classmates, I do not like the woods. Over all I would hope this was my last trip into the dreaded woods. The expectations from reading Emerson and Thoreau's writing were definitely crushed. It seems as though in this day and age with all the new technological advances, taking a walk through the woods isn't the best idea for relaxation. For this time period you wouldn't go into the woods for peace as did in the 1800's, it just doesn't fit in anymore. Hopefully next time if we do decide to go back into the woods, the temperature will be more forgiving.