Many places and groups throughout the world host events where people renew themselves and find peace in their lives through spending time outdoors, sleeping under the stars. One such gathering is Nomadic Roots at gorgeous Crimora Park in Virginia. It is a weekend-long, family-oriented, art, and music event hosting a spectacular variety of local talent. 2010 is the first Nomadic Roots Festival consisting of three nights of camping under the stars with friends. Speakers on eco-consciousness and sustainability of the earth will help attendees find peace with nature and themselves.

Local artist’s works and craft projects will be displayed, and their skills taught. During the afternoon heat the adjacent South River will provide escape and relaxation. A trip to Louisiana should include a tour of the Atchafalaya Basin. The gigantic, hollow cypress stumps tell the sad story of logging lumber and mulch. The jaw-dropping beauty of the boat tour will uplift listeners as they hear of the winning of legal battles to protect the swamp. This area encompasses America’s largest contiguous, bottomland hardwood forest. The tour ends at the Basin Keeper’s home with a meal of crawfish and an evening of music.

In Hawaii, “Aina Me Kalani” is an educational group that perpetuates the healing and cultural arts of the islands. Their workshops, retreats and conferences attempt to bridge the healing arts of Hawaiian alternative methods with those of both eastern and western tradition. Indigenous healing of medicinal plants, massage, and resolving internal and external conflict through self-awareness and forgiveness are taught. Beyond the differences in the various healing methods, commonalities are found to support one’s spiritual peace, and growth. Camping out on the beaches under the stars with the sound of the waves nudging the shore proves one of the most contented ways to spend moonlit nights.