The Little Things
As I was finishing up my college degree last year, I went through the oh-so-common crisis that every soon-to-be graduate faces: “what if I picked the wrong major?” I was truly wondering if I had wasted all my time and effort, working towards a piece of paper that I would never use. I didn’t know what to do; I felt stuck. At this time, I was living in an apartment with my two good friends, both of whom had their next few years already planned out. They knew what they wanted to be when they grew up, but I was still trying to figure it out.
We only had two months left before graduation when spring break finally rolled around. We all agreed that we desperately needed to get out of the house and started planning. Most people our age were heading on elaborate trips to sunny beaches or big-name tourist destinations, but not us. Rather than traveling south, we decided to adventure west, with our only goal being to see the redwood trees. We bought our tickets, hopped on a plane, and flew out to California.
Over the course of our week-long trip, we travelled from San Francisco all the way up to Eureka, making several stops along the way. We spent hours upon hours on the highway, and put over 800 miles on a rental car. But all of it became worth it once we saw the trees. As soon as we entered the forest, I knew that we had made the right choice. Our journey took us to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, where we walked a 10-mile hike along the Friendship Trail (which hilariously for us was its real name).
The trees were imposing, yet friendly, and there was no picture we could take that would do their height justice. No matter how much I craned my head or stared up into the sky, there were some trees that I just could not see the tops of. Standing there on the forest floor made me feel so unbelievably small. But rather than feeling overwhelmed or insignificant, I felt like I finally got to see the bigger picture. I was a smaller aspect of a system much bigger than myself. I felt like I was a part of the environment, rather than just a spectator to it. That feeling, I realized, is what was missing from my studies. You can only learn so much from lessons and research papers. You can only learn so much from a distance.
I went back home feeling inspired. I was excited to finish the last two months of my degree so I could get out of school buildings and back into nature. Looking back through all the photos we took, my favorite is one that, at the time, I didn't even know was being taken. While my friends were taking pictures of each other to post later on social media, I had wandered off. When they found me, I was crouched down on the ground, looking at the fallen cones of the redwood trees. I had never seen cones like that before, and I remember feeling amazed that such a small thing could grow into a tree so large.
Today, I keep a few of these cones on my desk, not only as a reminder of a great trip with my friends, but also as a reminder of how I felt that day. A reminder that even the smallest of actions can ripple into something much larger. During my time so far in AmeriCorps, I’ve brought this feeling with me to every service project I’ve been involved in. I’ve brought it with me to schools, helping to teach kids about the importance of testing their drinking water. I’ve brought it with me to rivers and streams, collecting water data samples. I brought it with me to trails, where I shared my love of trees with community members on nature walks. I’m still trying to figure out exactly what I want to be when I grow up, but being a member of the LRCC has given me a chance to try lots of new things, and I’m excited to try even more as my term continues.
Mackenzie Sirrine is currently serving at Green Mountain Conservation Group as the organization’s Education and Outreach Assistant. She can usually be found outdoors, befriending trees along the trails. Learn more about Mackenzie here.