When energetically charged atoms from solar rays collide with particles in the thermosphere, brilliant lights begin to dance. They dance not for us, humans, but they dance for the Earth. Their colors are magnificent, and in a profoundly existential and spiritual way, remind me of how incredible science is. Our individual bodies are made up of a web of systems, as is our earth, and as is our universe. It brings me to a humbling and spiritual mindset.
Though sharing this moment with a community of environmentalists is a unique experience, I find myself yearning to move away from all sights or sounds of civilization. My body wanders to where there are no people, my eyes drift in directions that eliminate buildings or human bodies. I stop moving my body as to eliminate the sounds of my down coat wrinkling or the hard soles of my shoes pounding on the earth. All my senses want to focus on what is the most magical and real: the aurora borealis, dancing in green and pink colors in the sky; the mountains capped in snow; the open field of cold grass; and the whistling of the wind. It is important to be able to achieve this spiritual connectedness with the natural world (and with science). Though sharing such an experience with a community of environmentalists is an incredibly important, it yields to a different kind of experience. I simply realized that I believe the experience is even more profound and enchanting when alone, or when in silence as a group
-Michelle