Growing up in the country, I spent a lot of time outdoors. Whether it was running around the neighborhood, playing in the creek, or climbing trees, from dawn to dusk I would generally be outside. Through being outside I had a connection to nature which was tied to joy as a child. Looking back on those memories, I still have fond thoughts to the great outdoors. In a way, it seemed almost like a spiritual right of passage, the more trees you climbed or the more scars from adventures, the more of a child you had been - the more you had experience.

This experience is shared among many children across the globe, and it allows the connection to be made to our primitive roots. Exploration and curiosity in nature are tied to the idea of being a child and thus the process of growing up mimics evolution through the change from the forest to the 401k. A spiritual right of passage through having been outside has definitely helped who I became and I'm sure it's impacted others as well.

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