The weather was so nice today, I couldn’t stay inside, so I took off and drove to Shokubutsuen near Za Boon, then I walked up the old cycling road all the way to Nibetsu Kokumin no Mori.  I was completely alone and it was wonderful.

I saw some Japanese Serow (カモシカ）、 some rabbits,  and footprints of many animals, luckily, no bears.  I’m sure they’re all hibernating (冬眠中）now.

I walked for three hours and was completely exhausted when I finished, but I also felt so refreshed in my mind and body.  In Japan, there is a popular phrase 森林浴．A direct translation is “forest bathing“, but I think a better phrase is

–communing with nature, or

–becoming one with nature.

例文

I spent 3 hours today communing with nature . . . .that’s more than I commune with my kids!

I feel like I became one with nature today.  Now I’m ready to face the new year.

That’s what I did today, and it was great!

Here are a few pictures: