Ieasa Custer- Kami. 5 (class reading)

 When we had a lecture on traditional Japanese environments and many things we drew for them I was intrigued. It is always important to learn about other cultures' values and it is really eye opening. I loved the idea of Kami. It took me some time to grasp it and perhaps I still fully haven't but the definition I wrote was “god spirit, above/beyond.” I used time after class to reflect on times that I possibly experienced this and how I described it at the time. My friends and I have something we call ‘the sunrise feeling’. We use this phrase to describe things that as soon as you see or experience them overwhelm you with a sense of beauty or awe. We pulled this from the experience of waking up while camping and being greeted by a beautiful sunrise. Your mind doesn't really have time to process what it's taking, but you immediately know how beautiful it is. I want to use this blog to reflect on a few special times I've felt. One night when hiking the AT with the class we stopped to camp not quite at the top of a mountain. We were all hanging out around the fire when I decided I wanted to take a quick walk up the rest of the mountain and get a clear view of the stars. As I broke through the coverings of the trees I was greeted with the most clear view of the stars I've ever had. It was beautiful and I stood still for several minutes just taking in the beauty. Another moment was in shenandoah valley while hiking. I was on a solo hike that day and had found a grass clearing to lay down in for a bit. As I laid flat down in the grass in look up I was mesmerized by the clouds. They were moving in the most unique way I've ever seen and also dancing around each other. Overall, I hope to acknowledge more moments like this and appreciate them. 


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