Finding Arcadia

Through this class, we have had several discussions on Arcadia and the different places people have tried to make into a paradise on earth: the middle ground between nature and human creation. Despite the different potential paradises we discussed, none of them ever felt truly right. And, in this, I think that there will never be one true location that all of humanity can call paradise.

Now, this thought on its own is nothing new. There was an overarching sentiment that paradise could not be a physical place on earth, whether for the logistics of striking the balance between humanity and nature or for spiritual reasons. However, I do not think that Arcadia is so unattainable for the individual. Arcadia could be anywhere, really, as it is closer to a state of being attained by an individual. A connection between the technological and the natural, found within a person finding their place in this world, is the true nature of Arcadia. Just like no one culture can perfectly coexist with every ecosystem, so is there no paradise that would work for every individual. People all have different relationships with nature, and even if everyone were to find their own balance toward seeking Arcadia, those balances would be as wildly varying as the surface of the earth. To think of Arcadia as a physical location is nice, but thinking of it as a state of being, where one is able to dwell in paradise no matter where they are, transforms it into something to strive for. When you can find Arcadia within their relationship with nature, the world, no matter where you are, feels a little more like home.