Does the forest ever feel foreign or uninviting to you?

Or even just a little hesitant?

If you don’t feel completely comfortable in the forest, there is a way to make it feel more inviting.

With a little bit of effort, you can make the forest feel like home.

 

 

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Ways to feel at home in the forest

Have you ever moved into a house and it didn’t feel like home?

You live there, but it doesn’t feel “lived in.”

I felt that way in our first home. It took awhile for the sense of “home” to settle into my bones.

That’s exactly how the forest can feel if you’re not used to it.

It can feel off-putting or even scary at times. Hey, my own kids get scared of the forest after dusk, and way too many scary movies give the woods a hair-raising energy.

So, if you want to feel connected and drawn to the forest instead, this is for you.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways to make a house a home, that apply to the forest too.

 

1. Build familiarity

Your house starts to feel like home once you’ve been there awhile and you get used to its features. The repetition of driving there, of your morning routine, of moving around in the kitchen, of learning where all the creeks and cracks are helps you build that familiarity.

In the same way, you can build familiarity in the forest. All you have to do is visit the same areas numerous times and get to know the landscape. Try to memorize the pathways, the landmarks, and the fallen logs. Learn the nooks and crannies by heart.

I recommend finding a sit spot in each forest area you visit and pay attention to the details. Each time you come back, you learn more and the familiarity builds.

I also recommend trying to learn about the plants and animals that live there. Bring a field guide or a naturalist with you and learn to identify the trees, flowers, and tracks you see. The forest becomes a whole lot less foreign as you become friends with its inhabitants.

As you build that familiarity and get acquainted with a place, it starts to feel more welcoming. When you spend more time there and get to know your surroundings, you almost feel a sense of ownership over the place, and the hesitancy disappears.

 

2. Make memories there

A house becomes a home as you build memories there. Backyard barbecues, birthday parties, and exciting phone calls create a treasure trove of memories associated with a place. Nostalgic memories tend to make a place more endearing to you.

You leave your fingerprints on the walls, figuratively and literally.

In the same way, you can build memories in the forest too. Usually memories just happen. But you can make intentional memories by bringing your kids or people you love with you and sharing time with them.

If you’re alone, bring your invitations and journal. Invitations often prompt beautiful memories. And if you follow an invitation by journaling, you can process and record those memories in an even more poignant way. Use them to build your memory bank.

A place that holds fond memories is a place you’ll always be drawn to.

 

3. Bring your closest humans

Your home is the place where you spend the most time, usually with those closest to you. Your family shares the same space. The people you invite most there are your close friends and family into your space.

If you want to make the forest feel like home, bring the people that you love. Take your kids and partner with you. Bring your protector to make you feel safe. Enlist your friends. Share your love of nature and your favorite spaces with your loved ones. Like the song says, “home is wherever I’m with you.”

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4. Find solace there

Where do you go when you feel sadness, frustration, anger, discomfort, sorrow? Usually you want to be home, in your room, maybe in your own bed. The place where you seek solace.

You can also find solace in the forest.

The wilderness has a gentle way of absorbing your tension and tears.

Your sit spot is the forest equivalent of your own room. Flee there when you need a moment of respite, when you need to cry it out. It welcomes you and softens your edges, like your bed. Home.

 

5. Take your meals there

Typically, home is a place where we take most of our meals. The traditional kitchen table is a gathering spot for food, loved ones, conversation, and connection. It’s the heart of a home.

If you want the forest to feel that way, take a few meals there. A forest picnic is a great way to build memories (#2), bring your loved ones (#3), and share a meal.

Meals represent nourishment and are infused with heritage, the epitome of the home.

 

6. Make it your own

A home is a place that should feel like “you.” You decorate the space according to your own taste and add personal touches. You probably bring things into your home that bring joy or resonate with you. You make the space your own.

Now, many wilderness areas are no-trace, and it’s important to respect that. But you can still make the forest your own without altering, marring, or destroying any part of it. For example, you can find a branch near your sit spot to hang your jacket or a divot to set your mug. You might bring a pretty sit spot seat cover or decorate it with a nature mandala with items already on the ground.

 

I hope these ideas help build your connection with nature. Over time, these techniques should help you build a sense of home in the forest so you can enjoy it like a precious part of your life.

 

I wanna hear from you. Have you always felt at home in the forest? Or did it take a little work?