"If one truly loves nature, one finds beauty everywhere."

Where I walked today

Do you spend some time in nature every day?

I try to find some time, preferably in the morning before messages pop up on my calendar or email that all seem to have a higher urgency than the walk I had planned. So today, I walked through my village, the nearby dunes, and the forest a bit further from home. It was a walk of about nine kilometers; the long stretches in soft sand and photography slowed me down, so it took me nearly two hours. 

I made this two-minute video of my walk that I started close to home, next to the church of Burgh-Haamstede. It includes shots of ponies, Scottish Highland cattle, lots of deer, and many more ants.

I hope this video motivates those of you who believe they should spend more time in nature but somehow always find reasons to postpone that trip. The question is not what those reasons are; the questions should be why it is good to visit nature.

Everyone will have their own reasons, but for me, it is that sense of tranquil awareness once I leave the village and society behind me. I focus on my body, my mind, and the beauty of nature around me.

This summer, I walked some 700 kilometers (435 miles) in Spain, improving my health. Although I often walked and talked with others, I most vividly remember the long daily stretches that I walked utterly alone for 25, 30, or even more than 40 kilometers. There was just the sound of my breathing, footsteps, and my trekking poles. City life was far away, including sitting too many hours behind my screen. I can see why people who appreciate nature and spend time in it have less stress and are happier, healthier, and more creative.

Vincent’s love for nature

Earlier today, I saw Vincent van Gogh's well-known quote: "If one truly loves nature, one finds beauty everywhere." And I kept thinking about it while producing the video. So many nature lovers I have met had a remarkable eye for detail, connections between their observations, and the beauty of nature.

I wondered if he ever said or wrote this line since the internet is full of quotes from well-known people who never even spoke about that topic; the one of Einstein on bees comes to mind. It is an old, even pre-social media, problem. For instance, it is doubtful that Marie-Antoinette ever suggested that the hungry should eat cake. 

But in the case of Vincent's quote, we shouldn't worry. The painter did indeed write these words. He wrote it in a letter to his brother Theo from London on 30 April 1874. He wrote in Dutch: 

"Als men waarachtig van de natuur houdt dan vindt men ’t overal mooi."

To give a bit of context, these are some of the lines he wrote in the letter, including the often quoted phrase:

"I walk here as much as I can, but I'm very busy. It's absolutely beautiful here (even though it's in the city). There are lilacs and hawthorns and laburnums &c. blossoming in all the gardens, and the chestnut trees are magnificent.

If one truly loves nature, one finds beauty everywhere. Yet I sometimes yearn so much for Holland, and especially Helvoirt."

And to end this post with Van Gogh, look at this tweet (click on the arrow in the picture). Did it work for you?

Alexander Verbeek 🌍 @Alex_Verbeek

🎨 The best way to see Van Gogh's "Starry Night" is to stare at the center of the spiral for 20 seconds and then look at the painting. RT when it works for you.

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