I Didn’t Get It… Until I Walked This Trail (Ocala National Forest)

I kept hearing about this place. Ocala National Forest. Even National Geographic mentioned it. I didn't really know why, but I was curious. This is cool. I'm excited. So I figured, okay, let's go see what it's all about. Starting the day with some good fuel. Probably not the healthiest breakfast. This is beautiful. But please don't judge. So it is a little cloudy and there are some raindrops, so hopefully it's not starting to pour crazy much, but I got some gear with me, so I'll be fine no matter what. All right, let's do it. I have been here before, but only on the water. Never like this. At first, it felt simple. Just trees. But then I started noticing things. So many details that are easy to miss. I'm not gonna lie, having too much coffee before doing macro, you get a little shaky. The longer I walked, the more there was to see. So cool. So I didn't start notice these until I moved to Florida because they're so bright pink here. And I don't know exactly how to pronounce it. I think it's lichen or lichen. I honestly don't know. But they're like everywhere. It's so cool. Beautiful. It's not loud beauty. It's quiet. That is so bright. You just have to look a little closer. And once you do, it kind of pulls you in. So fun. Plants. There's something about being out here that just feels real. As I walk through this forest, I can't help but feel like this is the real Florida. People have lived off this land for centuries. Moved through it. Relied on it. This is how it looked. And this is how it should look. Hiking through a place like this, it almost feels like stepping back in time. Way back. So loud. I absolutely love how wild it is out here. Things growing on top of other things and all of it fighting to survive. And somehow, within all of that, there's peace. Not the kind of peace you find tucked away in bed, but a peace that comes from being part of something wild. Looks like the sun might start to come out. And then, it just clicked. I didn't really understand why this place was so highly recommended. It didn't make sense to me before. But now, I get it. It's not screaming beauty. It's just wrapped in it. And this was just one trail. So I think I'll be coming back.