The Bond That Nature Creates

Over the weekend Caesar and I took my mom on a day-trip to hike in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We decided to hike Brandywine into the Stanford House trail which is about five times from the car and back. This was my third time to CVNP and each time I’ve done this hike. There’s something so special about it. It includes a waterfall, lots of spots to take a dip in the creek, rugged terrain, and steep climbs partnered with enough flat spots to appreciate your surroundings. This hike is the perfect amount of workout and nature appreciation.

Caesar and I usually go hiking alone. I like the quiet and peace, and I like having special time with my dog, but taking my mom was nice because I could share something that is important to me with someone. She kept commenting how she saw a different side of Caesar when he was happily greeting people. I walk my dog a lot and we got on trips together more than almost anyone I know with a dog. I imagine people think it’s just me and Cesar out there doing nature stuff, but I get so much more out of our hikes.

The first trip Caesar and I ever went on was to Hocking Hills. I came back feeling in love with Ohio and even more so, in love with the bond I created with my dog. Caesar has always been my best friend, but something else was created when we both pushed each other in the rocky terrain of a long hike in Ohio’s beautiful landscape. For that trip, we went with a co-worker.

Just two weeks later, though, I booked a dog-friendly hotel in Macedonia and we hiked 10 miles in CVNP before calling it a day. This was the first trip I had ever taken without another human and I fell in love with being alone. I mean, I wasn’t really alone because I had Caesar, but I enjoyed being in the company of someone who was enjoying what I was enjoying, didn’t complain the entire time, and was always willing to go on any adventure. I loved that we didn’t have to speak each other’s language to have a great time together.

Through going on hikes with just my dog, I’ve seen him truly enjoy his surroundings; he really comes out of his shell in the woods. He loves to greet people that go by – something he rarely does at home. He loves to stop and sniff other dogs – another thing he rarely does at home. I love to watch him jump over fallen trees, power up steep hills, and jump into rivers. When I take Caesar on these nature trips, I feel like I’m seeing the true spirit of my dog and it makes me feel alive as well. In CVNP, my dog is no longer 8 years old; he is, instead, a young hunter – full of life and adventure. I think we both got the greatest compliment this weekend when a little boy swore he was a wolf. He’s always been my wolf because he is the one who has carried me through so many of my heart ships, like a true leader would.

I feel the most in tune with my dog in nature. There is something about being in the woods, getting a workout trying to travel though nature, and seeing pure happiness in your best friend’s eyes because he is taking in his surroundings, and that can’t be replicated. I crave more of these trips.