World Environment Day

World Environment Day is the time to consider how we can help the Earth, but let's step back and see what we're protecting. I don't know if there is any purer beauty than that which is on our planet. Here are some of the great places, big and small, on the Earth that I've recently visited. 

The Grand Canyon

I have visited the Grand Canyon twice in my life, twelve years apart, and it's enormity was unreal both times. There is nothing quite like seeing it for the first time though - the word "Grand" feels so theoretical until you see the magnitude with your own eyes.

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

In my own backyard of Washington, DC, I found a lotus garden, or gardens, if you will. (Well, I found it on Instagram and had to see it with my own eyes.) In this network of ponds are hundreds of lotus flowers blooming in the summer. The lotus flower is so much bigger and mightier than I imagined, and I realized that I must not have seen one in person before. They stand tall with their bilowy leaves and delicate flowers. I wish I was one.

The Mississippi River

Another one of these iconic American staples, the Mississippi River is vast and should definitely be experienced. It's one of the things that gives us life - the ability to be near huge bodies of water. I love how it flows right through the center of Minneapolis and that an entire city was built around it. It's the centerpiece of society and allows us to live.