I am an international student from Beijing.
I have been studying at Ohio University for the past two years. While I have been here, I’ve been on a number of adventures and I’ve learned a large amount of lifelong lessons while traveling abroad.
I have visited cities from Chicago to New York City and all the way to the West Coast, which is where we will begin our journey of my experiences in the United States today.
I am wondering whether anyone has ever tried to imagine standing in a picture of beautiful scenery. I don’t know whether you have had such an experience before, but I can assure you I have.
In addition, I have another question: Have you ever desired an escape from your original life, so you run to nature?
If you have even thought about it for only a moment, then you should go to Yellowstone National Park.
Yellowstone is a place that makes you forget you are traveling. There is pure nature scenery without any commercial noise or interferences (except visitors centers).
Yellowstone is a place that can make you think you are truly standing in a picture.
This summer, I spent three days traveling there. Although the time was limited, I had a fantastic journey.
On the first day, I did not realize how big the park was until we drove there. For some places, it took almost two hours to get there.
Our first stop was the Mammoth Hot Springs, what I thought would be a normal spring.
The Mammoth Hot Springs does not look even remotely close to the photos I have seen of it. Many springs seem to be drying up.
To be honest, the first stop disappointed us a little bit.
Then, we came to Old Faithful, one of the most worthy places to visit at YNP.
At first, because of the thickened smog under the rainy day, my vision was cloudy; I thought it was only a normal place filled up with natural geysers. When the wind blew over the surface of those geysers, I found they are far from normal. They are filled with color.
The pictures you see in magazines and shows might not be attractive enough to catch your eyes, but when you are actually there, it’s intrinsic beauty.
All you will breathe is the natural flavor!
However, what shocked me the most was not Old Faithful, it was the river opposite West Thumb Geyser Basin.
At that moment, I didn’t even trust my eyes. I said to myself, “It is not a poster or a picture — this is real scenery.”
Rivers, mountains, clouds and accumulated snow made me feel as if I were standing in a picture.
I closed my eyes and I felt a feeling I have never experienced. That was the moment I felt I was closest to nature.
Yun Ye is a junior studying journalism and a columnist for The Post. Have you ever been this close to nature? Email her at yy822809@ohiou.edu.
