I had lived in the south western part of the US for most of my life. While I loved being in the Rocky Mountains, I seemed to end up living in the desert over and over again. Some of that is because the desert is all over the south west and drought is common curse. Even the parts that are green are open and easy to walk through. The forests have ample space between trees, clumps of bushes, and sparse grass to cover the ground. The Rocky Mountains have many pine forests that not only block out the sun, but also layer the ground with acidic needles, preventing much from growing under them. Extreme temperature changes from day to night limit the types of plants that survive, not to mention the change of temperature throughout the year. The most extreme parts, have air as a limiting factor. The mountains can get so high that plants simply cannot live. So, between water, temperature, and air, even the most beautiful locations are easy to walk through for the most part. The mountains can have some challenging rock climbing, but that is another story.
When I moved to the east coast, the forests and green overload made me claustrophobic. Tree were arching over the roads in a very picturesque country living magazine way, but it was everywhere. Under the taller trees, where shorter trees, with bushes clogging up any space between and grasses covering the ground. It was a wall of green. I never expected to have difficulty transitioning to the forests because I love to be outside so much. Winter came, the green died down, and I could see through the trees for the first time. There are spaces and trails to make a way through. When summer returned and the green wall grew back, it didn’t scare me anymore. My imagination could see dinosaurs roaming through those dense trees. Fairies had a haven to flit around without detection. The forests were a magical oasis.
If you are lucky, wild flowers bloom for a month in the desert. On the east coast, it rains. That may seem like a nonsensical statement, but coming from the desert, each and every rain is a blessing. Even if it rains every day. Today, in the middle of July, when the US is hottest and the deserts are scorched, I counted over 15 different of wild flowers blooms around my house. The east coast is just a different place. The desert has its own kind of beauty, but I am so glad I live here, in the magical, wet, green forests of the east coast.
