The first story of this round of the Champlain Area Trails Travel Writing Contest that I am presenting is an essay entitled, “Just Some of the Reasons Why I Love the North Country” by Marian J. Atkinson.

Rural vs. City Living

Atkinson writes about a trip to New York City while comparing urban life to her home in the North Country, and she is not very enthused about the city. It has some great features, but there are so many people crowded together and almost a complete absence of nature that makes it a place she wouldn’t want to live.

I have to say I agree with her. While I would love to visit some cities and see the sights I would not want to live there. I am lucky enough to be a native of the Adirondacks and though I’m not an ‘outdoorsy’ person I cannot imagine living without all these trees and animals around me! Sure I would see plenty of pigeons in the city, and there are parks too with plants and some other minor wildlife.

Yet, right now I can walk out my door and see nature everywhere. I can see and hear dozens of varieties of birds a day, and I’m excited about the hummingbirds that are beginning to return. We’re getting feeders ready for them in the windows, so the hummingbirds will stop long enough to be admired while their wings make a swift fluttering sound as they fly in place to eat.

As I write this, I’m listening to the music of the frogs and crickets through the closed window at this moment, which tells you how abundant they are. Summer without those sounds would definitely be lacking. The Adirondacks are certainly a special place I will always want to return to.

Here is an except from Atkinson’s essay. Be sure to read it and all the other essay contestants and don’t forget to vote for your favorite to win a $250 prize!

“I’m a transplant from Long Island that has been living in the North Country for over 20 years.  I recently went back for a visit to New York City with my husband Fred and between the hordes of people, the high prices, and waiting on long lines to do everything, I remembered why I fell in love with the North Country so many years ago.  Fred was born, raised, and lived his whole life in the Adirondacks and it was very entertaining to watch his reactions during our trip.  We definitely, in my opinion, have a better quality of life living here in Saranac.  He spent a lot of time at the window of our hotel room that was across from Penn station looking down on the street where the commuters would enter and leave the train station.  ‘Look at all these people,’ he’d say. ‘They look like ants coming out of their nest in the morning and in the afternoon they’re going back in’…” [Read her story in full: “Just Some of the Reasons Why I Love the North Country.”]

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