It’s perfectly nice out, my perfect weather. Just chilly enough to snuggle inside a warm jacket. It’s been unseasonably warm this year, so sitting outside right now isn’t uncomfortable. In my little nook there is not too much wind, but when it hits me it’s cold and fresh, with the expected hint of exhaust. I wish I could breathe it in more, but the usual fall cold has hit me.
The leaves have started to fall, but I really expected there to be more sitting around. Wet leaves only slightly impeded my process as they clogged up the safe crossing to my seat on a tree. The vast majority of what I see is still green and brown, although the occasional yellow mixes in. There is a notable difference in size; the leaves around me seem very large. I feel more exposed here, the leaves have cleared just slightly so that I am more visible to passerby. A campus police officer comes to check up on me, saying people have reported “a lady in a ditch”. I am uncomfortable now; I most enjoy when I can observe without being noticed.
A bird nearby me is chirping and I am reminded of home. It’s a little alarming how something such as that can bring you back to a place, as well as how much it stands out here. I never thought of my house as having a lot of birds, but thinking back now I was always hearing multiple calls.
Looking around for other forms of life, I am interested to see that there aren’t a lot. A bee fallen into the water from the tree next to me is oscillating between spinning in circles, successful swim-flying in the water, and resting stagnant like death. I can’t decide if I should help him or let nature take its course. I see gnats and water-skaters, and two tiny fish in the water. A giant menacing red ant explores to my left reminds me of the one drawback to this site.
There isn’t much here, nor much difference I note that is surprising to me, but I do feel like I am experiencing this in a very different way. For one, I am simply more comfortable. I have started spending much more time outside and I no longer feel out of place here. I want to take advantage of this school-sponsored time to unwind. After our fall break trip, I realized just how happy I was while I was gone. In nature, disconnected, and enjoying my time with friends. I know now just how much I can get wound up from being stuck inside; I suppose there really is no mood-lifter quite like fresh air.
I definitely understand this place more thoroughly this time around. Looking up, I am trying to study by identifying the trees. Looking over at the water, I note how clear it is. Much lower turbidity than say, the Potomac. I see the granite rocks making up the creek bed, and the crashing water reminds me of the roar of the James, muffled by the sounds of Richmond. The one lone bird call makes me think of how the University seems so green, but in reality it’s very gray, with buildings and parking lots and other sorts of impervious surfaces surrounding us. Maybe some of the greatest benefits of this class are how I can return to nature, appreciate it, and understand it.