For spring break I visited my best friend from home, Ava. She goes to New York University located in Manhattan, so I did my nature blog in the beautiful Washing Square Park. We stopped by on our my day in the city. The air was cold and crisp, but I was wearing so many layers that the temperature was not affecting me. I sat on an old, wooden bench with black arm rests that had paint chipping on either side. Since it is an urban park, the ground was mainly paved with gray bricks. Less than half of the park was actually green. I think park of the reason was cause all of the trees were dead, but the lonely branches still looked just as beautiful. There were, however, green and bountiful bushes surrounding the benches and walking trails. I like this idea of having parks in the middle of such a busy city like New York because it allows people to be able to enjoy nature in some way during their lunch break from the office, or a break from shopping. I can only imagine how nice it must be to sit there and relax during the summer. The day I went was a particularly gloomy one. The clouds blocked the sun, and the temperature was around 40 degrees. But nonetheless, my experience was refreshing. I sat for an hour trying to listen to all of the different sounds that were happening all around me. I could hear couples and families talking, dogs barking, babies crying or laughing, and could even hear some street performers blast their music. Towards the end of my time there, I was able to witness a homeless man drum on a trashcan like a professional. It was truly amazing. Although it was not as relaxing and calm as the parks I am used to visiting in Austin, or any other part of Texas, it really was a great and different experience. I saw so many different types of people at the park and heard a variety of different languages being spoken. The thing about Zilker Park, for example, is that it is usually occupied by young, active, adults in their twenties; but Washington Square Park was filled with tons of people from every age groups and backgrounds, it seemed like. I used this hour to reflect back on the week I had just had. Spring break came at a perfect time because right before it, I had my midterms so this was a nice break from school. Since I went to New York to visit my friend in college, I got to experience a little bit of her college experience, which is way different than the one I am having at St. Edwards. Instead of having a campus the way that we do at St. Ed’s, all of her classes are in buildings, and she often has to walk as long as 15 minutes through the city just to get to class. My experience in a college campus, is not necessarily better, but it is different. It did, however, make me grateful for the life I am living in Austin. I loved the quote from A Sand County Almanac that says, “A March morning is only as drab as he walks in it without a glance skyward” (20). I agree with this quote because so many people, especially in New York City, live such fast paced lives that they miss out on the beauty of it all if they don’t stop once in a while to observe it.
