One thing artificial intelligence (AI) cannot replicate (yet) is the inherent need for people to connect with each other in an outdoor setting. Connecting with others in nature is one of the most therapeutic ways to slow down, drop back into self, and realign with what it means to be human.
As AI becomes more prevalent in society, the need for real human connection becomes all the more necessary, especially with the loneliness epidemic people aren’t really talking about.
Recently, I joined Crown Royal and Realtree at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia, to detox from technology, immerse my soul in nature, and partake in a communal kickback that led to a deeper understanding of why connecting with others in nature is so vital to our existence.
Arriving in the Wilderness
As our car service from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International entered the remote stretch of wooded highway an hour and a half outside Atlanta, you could feel an energy shift. Gone were the bright lights and chaotic resonance of the city, replaced by a peace that accompanies dense evergreens. Even within the confines of a motor vehicle, the surrounding forest felt therapeutic, and a nostalgic wave of happiness washed over me.
That reaction isn't just in my head either. Research shows that being in nature helps reduce stress and anxiety while providing the kind of cognitive and emotional benefits that influence our motivation and overall well-being.
According to clinical psychologist Dr. Christopher Nahumck, “The outside world is our natural environment, the one we are evolved to be in. So many things about us come out of our interaction with an open, living ecosystem that makes us happy and engaged in life.”
As the car sped along, I put away my phone and began a conversation with the driver. He asked what brought me to Georgia, and I said I was a writer on assignment for Men’s Journal for a piece on the importance of human connection in an AI-driven world. The driver agreed with the premise and, as a father of two, stressed that he prioritizes being outside to his kids.
I awoke the next morning and took a brisk walk outside before the planned activities. Watching the sun rise and hearing the birds sing their songs in a tranquil environment was incredibly restorative. Just me, nature, and all its inhabitants.
“Being outdoors is good for our mental health because we’re animals,” said Cory Allen, author and mindfulness expert. “We need to have sunlight, we need to feel the wind, we need to see the green of the grass and the blue of the sky. Whenever we feel nature, we dilate and become one with it. We need nature to feel like ourselves and to feel in tune with our deepest sense of self.”
My day had begun with a reset—a literal energetic breath of fresh air—a cleansing bath of harmonious vibration propagating internal equilibrium.
“Spending time in nature effortlessly guides our attention back to a broader, more grounded perspective,” said Kim Kozel, trauma therapist. “It is a powerful medicine which has been shown to uplift mood, reduce stress, improve sleep, clear one's mind, induce a sense of ‘awe,’ and downshift the nervous system into a state of calm.”
Stephen Laddin
Connecting to the Great Outdoors
Our group gathered in the valet circle, where we were transported to Realtree Farms by bus. Once on the grounds, we boarded a flatbed trailer containing two rows of hay-seating. A tractor engine then roared to life and pulled us along for a tour of the property.
The tractor slowed by the pond, and we hopped off to spend time by the water. The Realtree staff provided fishing rods equipped with lures, and we congregated in lawn chairs by the banks to take in the serenity together—a human connection amidst the sun and clouds that delivered a shared experience without technology. It felt great to not look at a screen and instead be present with the words of others and the sound of the wind.
“Fresh air, vast spaces, seasons, and the like are things we need to have good mental health,” Nahumck said. “Instead, we’ve built zoos for ourselves and wonder why we get depressed and anxious in our self-imposed cages.”
Being “cage-free” at Realtree Farms, it was easier to see (and begin to disdain) the daily, manmade pressures our digital world bestows upon us. The constant feeling of being behind on emails, of missing out on text chains and “likes,” all of it was reduced to mental noise by being fully present in nature.
“In nature, you can lower your cortisol and regulate your nervous system,” said Craig French, mindfulness and mindset coach. “This is a common practice in Japan called ‘Shinrin Yoku,’ or ‘forest bathing,’ scientifically proven to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, improve immunity, sleep, and many other benefits.”
Following our fishing excursion, we journeyed to the main house on the Realtree Farms property—a beautiful log cabin—where we connected with each other over lunch. After a brief nap back at Callaway, we returned to the cabin where we enjoyed the Crown Royal kickback and happy hour, an outdoor hang filled with libations, conversations, and cornhole amongst the trees.
At that moment, the trip’s purpose was in full swing—people connecting with people in an outdoor environment, free from their phones and any other technology. For a brief moment in time, it was a reminder of the freedom we all can feel when we’re not doom-scrolling or prompting AI to “make our lives easier.” It was a moment of genuine human connectivity, of people being present with one another, with nature as the threaded backdrop.
“Human to human connection is at the heart of our experience, so although AI and technology offer a lot of efficiencies, it cannot replace genuine human connection,” French said. “A conversation with honesty, vulnerability, eye contact, and true listening can change someone’s day and even their life. Sometimes nothing needs to be said, just an innate feeling that people are connected. That experience is impossible with AI.”
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Nature: The Foundation for Community
As the sun began its descent, we walked a short distance to a wooded clearing adorned with tree stump seating and meats being cooked over open flames. The experience was a wild game tasting, hosted by Michael Pendley, editor of Realtree.com’s Timber 2 Table, paired with two unique Crown Royal cocktails.
In between bites of venison and bacon-wrapped dove, I was able to engage with both Realtree and Crown Royal executives on their shared company values and why this kickback was emblematic of the way they prioritize connection on a deeper, human level.
“Our brand is built on relationships,” said Brian Doughman, SVP of licensing and retail at Realtree. “We’re a relationship-driven company. Our motto is ‘family, friends, and outdoors,’ so human connection has always been in our DNA. We came together with Crown Royal because both of our brands are about connecting with people.”
Hadley Schafer, VP of Crown Royal, agreed, pointing to Crown Royal’s history in the United States, literally born out of connection and social moments.
“When Crown came to the US as a Canadian whisky, it came from Canadian oil workers bringing it down to Texas with them,” Schafer said. “It’s always been part of the ‘shared moment’ and groups of friends coming together around outdoor experiences. We have a shared appreciation for the outdoors, hospitality, and generosity, and we approached Realtree initially because we saw that crossover from a values perspective.”
Two different brands with two different backgrounds comprised of two different teams coming together for one unified mission around human connectivity.
“The human superpower is our ability to work in groups,” Nahumck said. “It’s that social connection that allowed us to have the impact on the world that we have. AI cannot really do human connection. It feels like it at times, and it can be very appealing if not entrapping, but we come to understand ourselves through the eyes of others, and they understand themselves through our eyes as well. We are hard-wired to form attachments to each other, down to the chemical processes in us, and we long for shared experiences.”
Back at the main cabin, those shared experiences continued, with an outdoor dinner and custom cocktail pairing. Dishes were served “family style,” and we took turns sharing plates of everything from fried green tomatoes to glazed fingerling potatoes to smoked and braised bone-in beef ribs.
The conversations flowed as freely as the beverages, and we each had the opportunity to engage with one another on a deeper level. It was an intimate evening punctuated by the overhanging backyard-style lights and full starlit sky, satiating the thirst for human connectivity in a relaxed atmosphere. It was the mental refresh we didn’t know we needed.
“Human connection and time spent in nature offer embodied co-regulation - the natural calming of the body through safety,” Kozel said. “Whether it’s heartbeat or breath, waves or rustling leaves, our nervous systems are wired to stabilize through connection. This feedback loop slows the heart rate and breath, reduces stress hormones, increases bonding chemicals, and supports clearer thinking.”
We continued the tech detox with a post-dinner campfire beneath the stars, the smoke from the burning wood reminiscent of those childhood nights when families would sit around the fire, talk, and enjoy each other’s company, a time when somehow, that was enough.
It was a stark reminder of the power of a digital disconnect, how we’re never meant to spend hours upon hours behind a screen. With the emergence of AI, it’s easy to forget our outdoor, tribalistic roots.
But perhaps AI’s ability to become a reliable tool will free us from the self-imposed technological prisons many of us exist in day in and day out. Perhaps AI can help us with screen-time tasks that would have otherwise kept us indoors, putting more hours back into our life account that will allow more time to explore what it means to be human.
“AI can either reinforce the trends of social media and news by increasing isolation, comparison, and divisiveness, or it can be a force for good by helping us build better relationships,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s up to everyone to decide the influences they bring into their lives, and we think people should bring AI into their lives in ways that improve their relationship with themselves and others.”
Stephen Laddin
Returning to Our Human Roots
As I sat shotgun in our car service on the way back to the airport, the realities of our digital world slowly crept back in, with to-do lists, emails, text messages, and planning for the following week popping up again. After the days spent outside, I realized if I allowed myself to feed those thoughts and anxieties, I’d continue to rob myself of the present.
Consciously choosing to remain in the moment, I put away the phone and once again struck up a conversation with the driver. He asked about our trip, and once again, the conversation turned to the topic of this piece—how emerging tech and AI can be fantastic tools, but are not a replacement for human connectivity.
The driver went on to share his love for Atlanta and the surrounding area, his favorite pizza spot, and how he’s prioritized instilling honorable values in his kids. It was an invigorating hour and a half commute back to the city, one that would have easily been missed if the phone had remained in my hand.
“Human connection is the foundation of all experience,” Nahumck said. “When we experience something pleasing, we want to share it. ‘Look at this! You have to try this!’ Our human connection is about being together, and when done in nature, we’re back to our roots, experiencing the world without the artificiality of our times, reigniting our primal selves.”
But in a rapidly evolving technological world, how can we prioritize being together and showing up fully without succumbing to the digital temptations at our fingertips?
“Screen breaks, tech-free weekends, and time that’s intentionally disconnected from devices but connected with others will make us feel more alive,” Nahumck said. “The more frequently a person has these connecting-in-nature experiences, the more they will naturally prioritize them, and will come to see them as being net positives in their lives.”
And those experiences need not be grandiose nor heavily organized by two major brands. Getting outside daily in some capacity without any technology is your literal first step to reintegrating nature into your daily routine.
“You can prioritize it simply by taking a walk in the morning,” Allen said. “Instead of having a meeting in an office, go on a walk if that’s possible. Hike during a phone call. Finding these small moments in life around things you’re already doing - you’re just repurposing them so you’re doing them outside, away from the computer. It’s about getting out of your phone and back into your body and reconnecting with what it means to be human.”
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This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the Health & Fitness section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.