gentlemen prefer nature girls.

One of my favorite things to do as a child was going out in the woods. It didn't matter if it was ten trees, or an amount so thick that light was barely seen. It was a different world to me. I could be Pocahontas if I wanted to be, and there was no one around to tell me any differently.

To this day I would choose a trip to a national park over one to the beach. I personally don't see the appeal of the sand and salt water over lush greens and bustling wildlife. Nature is nature, and it is all beautiful, but give me a boggy smelling pond over a cloudy ocean scene any day.

It isn't cool to love the outdoors anymore. Why? Even as adults people are so quick to throw out labels. Why is it that every girl my age in a small town is supposed to aspire to move to Chicago? If you don't want to do that you must just be "small town." Oh wait, you aren't into fashion and bump-its? You're a tomboy. You like working out and eating right? Dyke. You read? Nerd. Stop it, honestly. It is so unattractive to put people in groups. Especially if you are over the age of fifteen. Even worse is trying to "figure someone out," people aren't puzzles, nothing needs to be figured out.

I suppose what I am getting at here is this: I am a strange bird. I realize this. My parents have known since day one I have been told. I like antiquing, hiking, just sitting in grass, reading, talking to strangers, feeling the sun on my face without a stitch of make up. Why is it so hard for us to accept that people can be okay with being weird? I refuse to change these quirks for the sake of a man being interested in me. That's fine. Until I find my counterpart of strange, I will keep telling guys I'm not available.

This person will sit in random grass with me. We will watch American Pickers, not One Tree Hill. The two of us will get lost in the woods, often. You will not see us grinding in a bar, ever. Our every move will not be broadcast on Facebook. He won't get mad at me for having a messy car; I won't get mad at him for not cutting his hair. He won't mind that I would rather walk or bike somewhere than drive. Bugs will never be killed for me, but he will catch them and put them outside. The greatest date I have ever been on was sitting on an old wooden platform looking at stars, talking about nothing. That is perfect, but he will top it. We will attend things like flea markets and outdoor concerts.

Maybe I should take out a personal ad, I don't know. All I know is that until I find what I'm looking for, I wish you'd leave me alone.