“January observation can be almost as simple and peaceful as snow, and almost as continuous as cold. There is time not only to see who has done what, but to speculate why.”
This is my third year living in Austin. It seems like there are so many new things to experiences and so many great sights to see. But above all, my favorite spot is on top of Mount Bonnell. Once you climb about a hundred stone stair steps, all there is to see is beauty. There might be dozens of people walking round chatting and taking pictures, but once the sun begins to set, the only thing that you’re drawn to do is get perched someone at the very edge of the mountain and gaze at the orange sun come into contact with the horizon! Everything is silent (for the most part) and everyone is peaceful. There are no offensive scents or traces of pollution in the air. I think one of the greatest things about Austin, is that even though it’s extremely progressive and expands at an extremely fast pace, the culture of the city overall strongly supports having a “green” lifestyle and appreciating everything that the outdoors has to offer. Along the river, there are large fancy homes that all look like they belong on Cribs MTv. For a minutes or too, you have this conversation with your friends about all the really awesome aspects of each house and how cool it would be to live in one of them, but everything else is some much more distracting. There are barely any clouds in sight and the sun is glistening on this blue water. When you’re watching the sun set on Mount Bonnell, you’re doing more than bonding with nature, you’re bonding with the people. Everyone present is experiencing this appreciation of something so majestic at the same time as you. The fact that you’re all there at the same time, you all took the time and made the effort to get here (especially making it all the way up those stairs) it’s more than just a coincidence, and that’s what makes this view so special.