Regina April 2015 and reflection

This month, I decided to take advantage of the beautiful spring weather and go to Barton Springs. I had never been there before which always seemed to surprise people when I tell them. I see how it could be weird to live in Austin and not go to one of the most famous places this city has to offer. I had always seen pictures of the natural pool, but for some reason never found the time to go. So when I wracked my brain for a new place out in nature to do my blog post about, Barton Springs was an obvious answer. The day was hot and sunny, perfect for a day to go swimming and tan. Once I arrived, I realized that everyone in Austin had the same idea as I did because the line to get in was extremely long. Waiting in line for about thirty minutes under the hot sun only me want to get in even faster. Once I finally made it passed the gate I spotted out the perfect, shaded, area to lay down. I laid my towel on the grassy area and laid on top of it. I was so comfortable and felt completely at ease under a massive tree that blocked the sun’s rays from my eyes as I tried to reflect on my week. The week prior to my visit to Barton Springs was filled with a lot of stress and anxiety over school work and finals that were soon to come. So I decided to use this hour, that I had all to myself, to try and push these negative feelings away. I remembered learning some meditation techniques in the few yoga classes I took on campus so I thought I would try some of them out. First, I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, a crucial step according to every yoga instructor I have ever had. Then I tried to silence my thoughts and solely focus on the sounds all around me. Laying there, I could hear birds, water splashing, and distant conversations. After a while, the sounds of people diving into the water and constant laughter interrupted my ability to concentrate. So I tried a different approach. I dove into the water, joining a hundred different strangers, to try and find some peace underwater. The second I jumped in, it felt like needles poking at my skin because of the unbelievably cold water. After the initial shock though, my body began to get used to the new temperature and the water began to feel really refreshing. I swam around for a while, trying to keep my mind silent and just focusing on being present. After a while I laid out again, this time in the sun and relaxed for the rest of the time. It felt so good to take a break from such a hectic week and just spend some time off campus and out in nature. I really like this one quote from A Sand County Almanac that talks about the carp’s enthusiasm after a rising flood, “in their haste to explore what to them is an expanding universe” (26). I like it because to the carp, their universe is indeed expanding when they explore unfamiliar land. To me, people’s universes expand every time they are introduced to a new place with new experiences waiting to happen. Thats how I felt my first time at Barton Springs, it became a new part of my universe.

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Overall, I had a very positive experience with these nature blogs. The very first one felt sort of like a chore, since it was at the very beginning of the semester. But as I began to spend an hour in nature every week for the rest of the semester, this assignment quickly became like a reward at the end of the week. Being my first year in college, I had to idea what to expect regarding stress management and school work. My first semester was definitely an easy introduction to the next four years, I even made it into the dean’s list. But second semester worked as a cruel awakening. My classes were harder but my social life expanded so it became more difficult to balance the two. Slowly, my stress levels rose while my grades dropped. I then began to take these nature blogs more seriously because I read about the importance of disconnecting yourself from reality for a couple of hours. I made it a necessity to spend at least one hour in nature every Saturday. I’m not surprised one of the biggest words on the word cloud was “beautiful” because every single place I went to was truly beautiful and very serene. I tried to visit new places as soon as possible but found myself to constantly return to my favorite spots. Zilker park was definitely one of my top favorites. I love going there on a day where I can feel my anxiety overflowing and just lay down and take it all in. My favorite part about it is playing with all of the dogs in the park. I have read a bunch of articles claiming that playing with pets is therapeutic so I take this time to pet as many fluffy creatures as I can which has proven to work on me. Since January when I was assigned to spend a portion of my week outdoors, I have undoubtedly noticed a positive change in me. These nature blogs have allowed me to disconnect from the world for a while in order to get my mind in order. It has even encouraged me to spend as much time outside as possible because of its great effects on me. Even on campus, I try to sit outdoors as much as possible whether it be drinking coffee and chatting with friends outside of Jo’s or doing homework outside of Moody Hall. This concept of spending as much time outdoors as I can is something that I will try and continue to practice for the rest of my life, especially during difficult times.

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