Delta, British Columbia, CANADA – In a world so far away from normal, places of comfort are more important than ever. For me, peace comes when I am outside.
I live beside a forest, and have lived within it, too; it has grown up with me.
The creek was first a swimming hole for my Barbie dolls, then a moat that guarded my secret hideout. Now it is a place to sit beside with my friends.
Plants, animals, and people alike enjoy the company of one another in the forest. (Jaime Terada/YJI) 
Many bridges, both man-made and natural, are found throughout the forest for easy creek crossing. (Jaime Terada/YJI) 
Curled bark can be a sign that the tree is shedding its outer layer as it grows. (Jaime Terada/YJI) 
Canyons and ravines are popular for all kinds of adventures, including mountain biking and after-school fun. (Jaime Terada/YJI) 
Gorgeous water refractions on a creekbed. (Jaime Terada/YJI) 
Dogs enjoy being outside just as much as we do, and they’re good company. (Jaime Terada/YJI) 
Flowering buds of soon-to-be wildberries bring a colorful blush to the forest. (Jaime Terada/YJI) 
Muddy prints tell of past hikers and bikers enjoying the trails. (Jaime Terada/YJI) 
Cherry trees, like this one near the author’s home, bloom all over the lower mainland of British Columbia this time of year, often withstanding the rain like this one. (Jaime Terada/YJI)
The canyons, the trees, the trails; they have been my places of play, relaxation, and comfort my whole life. They have been a home.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the outdoors proved itself a welcoming ally in so many people’s lives. I spent more time than ever in my forest. It showed me calm, it showed me fresh.
It showed me that life still holds so much worth smiling for.
Nature – the forest and the water’s edge – helped me notice and celebrate the small things. And now, when a year of pandemic limbo makes hope hard to come by, it’s especially important to recognize the beauty of everyday life.
The bedhead of a sedge plant in the author’s yard. (Jaime Terada/YJI) 
Pets have been a great source of joy during the pandemic, and playing with them outside can be extra fun. (Jaime Terada/YJI) 
Winter-wearing trees hang overtop a popular forest walking trail. (Jaime Terada/YJI) 
Low tide at Delta’s port under a chainlink of clouds. (Jaime Terada/YJI) 
Trees’ shadows grow long in the sunshine while bikers take advantage of the good weather. (Jaime Terada/YJI) 
Springtime hosts a variety of flowers seen growing around residential areas, like this. (Jaime Terada/YJI)
Simply being outside doesn’t bring me comfort, and neither does my forest.
For me, comfort isn’t a place. It’s a cherry blossom, a wet sidewalk, a grey sky. It’s a perspective, a choice to focus on the tiny and the gorgeous that, together, frame our everyday life in loveliness.
Comfort appears when, even as the sky is falling down, we can notice shapes in the clouds.
This photo collection is my noticing – noticing that beauty, noticing that life.
These are my moments of solace at home.
Jaime Terada is a Junior Reporter and Photographer with Youth Journalism International.
