Bringing a Little Wild to the City

With this essay, I hope to resolve two related questions that I’ve struggled with throughout my 30s. First, why do I feel so much more authentically me when I’m in nature, even though I choose to spend 97% of my time in cities? Why do I become more observant, appreciative, and relaxed when I’m in the forest, outside of civilization? Is the same true for others? The second question: What do I think about capitalism? What are my environmental politics? Do I think that the current pace of technological innovation and wealth creation is a good thing? Or would we all be happier if we returned to…