Finding My Place in Nature: A Medical Student’s Reflection on Life in Southern Utah
By: Ashley R Metzler, OMS I
Embracing the Stillness of the Desert
As a medical student building my life in Southern Utah, I’ve discovered a powerful connection between nature, wellness, and the RVU community.. It is easy to tune into a sense of sacred quiet here, broken only by the occasional howl of coyotes. At night, the stars carry a red hue that adds warmth and mimics the clay tones of the desert we see during the day. The environment here is altogether epic, powerful, and homey.
My friends and I will often pile into our cars or hop on our motorcycles and drive out to some trails we found on AllTrails– places like Gunlock, off of Highway 15, or out by Zion National Park. We are never at a loss for places we can pull over to explore, get lost, or just rest under the open sky. There is an open freedom of the land here that I have not found anywhere else. There is an ever-present attitude of the land being shared. The Bureau of Land Management sign reminds us of this, proudly stating, “Your public land!”.
Outdoor Adventures as a Southern Utah Medical Student
Gathering over open fires, we cooked meals, played music, and shared stories while decompressing from our exams that morning. We revel in our appreciation of one another and the nature around us.
We’ll often use a free moment to shuffle down the street from campus to Snow Canyon State Park. Often, these hikes are unplanned and spontaneous; we’ll pack some sunscreen and snacks into our backpacks and file out from the parking lot at a moment’s notice. We’ll traverse incredible peaks on a typical Tuesday afternoon, greeting other locals with a smile and reflecting on our past accomplishments and future from atop the mountain.
Some of my classmates joke about channeling their inner John Wayne as they look out over the red cliffs, imagining Western movie scenes filmed in these very hills. But me—I feel more connected to the spirit of the mountains themselves. I watch the rocks twist and curve, blending with the crisp air and the sound of lizards scuttling by.
A Shared RVU Community Value
Out here, I’m reminded of something deeper: we are nature. We’re not separate from it. We’re a part of the greater whole. The love of the great outdoors seems to be a shared quality of RVU students and faculty. We all share an appreciation for the austere, the might of the mountains, and the awesome responsibility of being a resource in the face of the wild’s untenable strength.
Of course, medical school requires sacrifice—there’s no doubt about that. But I’m grateful that my connection to the outdoors doesn’t have to be one of those sacrifices. Instead, it’s what sustains me.
“One has to be alone, under the sky, before everything falls into place and one finds his or her place in the midst of it all. We have to have the humility to realize ourselves as a part of nature.” – Thomas Merton.
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