I knew this miniature vacation would not be luxurious. My boyfriend and I planned a few nights to camp and explore Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, ME. I needed the scent of pine needles and campfire and the feeling of the earth supporting my body as I slept. We needed to disconnect from the wifi (and the food service industry we currently spend hours of our lives) and have almost literally no cell service. We needed to reconnect with our inner selves, and with Mother Nature.

For me, that meant experiencing THE WORST menstrual cramps of my life after hiking around the summit of Cadillac Mtn. (we did not hike from bottom to top, over 1500 ft.!) I told myself "the endorphins from hiking will act as pain relievers. I will feel euphoric!" Unfortunately, once we got back into the car to head back down the mountain, my entire world blurred. My reproductive organs throbbed, my legs throbbed, and nausea took over.

Driving back to our campsite I thought about what Mother Nature, "Mother Goddess," was telling me.

The beauty of the park was overwhelming. I was absorbing the colors and the air but also forced to be hyperaware of sensation within my body- through one of the two most natural pains a person with a menstrual cycle experiences (the other is childbirth). Before this trip, my mind and body synchronization was off. I suffer from very common twenty-something year-old symptoms: lack of sleep, too much work, not enough nutrients; the list could continue.

Mother Nature was telling me to slow down, breathe more, notice a shooting star... She allowed me to realize that I will always be able to experience the pain and the beauty of any moment in life, even if that moment has both.