Twenty-five years ago I moved from Manhattan to rural New Jersey. Because I was accustomed to the city’s hustle and bustle, the transition to life in the quiet countryside was difficult. I’m embarrassed to admit that I judged my new surroundings boring. I decided to take a photography course at the local community college. Camera in hand, I began exploring nearby fields, woods, and backroads.

Over the ensuing years, these meditative walks have brought me into communion with nature’s ever-unfolding, understated beauty. It has calmed my restless soul. 

Marcia Krause Bilyk is an essayist, photographer, and hospice volunteer, who lives in rural New Jersey with her husband and three dogs. Her essays have appeared in The Interpreter and Upper Room. Her photos have illustrated Brevity, Tiferet Journal, Cold Mountain Review, and Adirondack Review.