Surrounded by Nature, Every Moment
I often say that nature keeps me going, but it’s more than that — I am completely saturated in it. Most people live in insulated houses designed to keep sound out, in cities with tiny yards or none at all, surrounded by constant noise. Even if a bird is nearby, they might never hear it.
I have wooden louvered windows with screens (to keep the mosquitoes out). That means there’s barely half an inch of material between me and every sound the jungle makes.
Listening to the Jungle
I hear everything. Sometimes, when the morning air is still, distant traffic noise makes its way the two miles down my road. On weekends, a neighbour’s music drifts across the river. But mostly I hear birds and shifting weather during the day, insects at night, and in the rainy season, the chorus of amphibians. Day or night, the howl of howler monkeys reminds me they are never far away.
Many people live almost entirely indoors. Life revolves around comfort — TVs, couches, and things. Unless I’m eating, working on my computer, or sleeping, I’m outside. Most people need a doorbell to know someone has arrived. I can hear a vehicle coming down my road five minutes before it reaches the house.
The temperature inside my home is whatever it is outside. The only insulation I have is a roof, and when it does rain, my insulated roof does a very good job of insulating that noise.
Coexisting With Wildlife
Sometimes tree frogs, small snakes, or even scorpions find their way inside. From my deck alone, I can often see ten or more bird species at a time. The truth is, I can’t escape nature even if I wanted to.
When most people step outside, they see streets, sidewalks, vehicles, and streetlights. When I step outside, I am surrounded by the jungle. And while wildlife sightings are always a matter of chance, the possibility of encountering a boa constrictor, a jaguar, or a mountain lion is real. Living with that kind of possibility every day does something to you internally that most people never experience.
A Contrast With Past Homes
When I lived in Ontario, it was depressing knowing the closest real wilderness was 340 kilometres away at Algonquin Provincial Park. I loved living in Vancouver because, even though I didn’t visit the mountains, I could see them. I could look up and know wilderness was there.
In Belize, every sense is immersed in nature — every hour, every day, all year long. And this isn’t a two-week escape. It has been my everyday reality for more than four years.
If you want to understand how I ended up living this jungle lifestyle, you can read the story here → Story of Belize
