Site Journal #6

As I walked on the walking trail that encircled the lake, I was reminded  how wonderful and unique all of the sunsets  I have witnessed here. Each trip I take allows me to see different things. Whether it is a new color in the sky, a new cry from the geese, or a new pattern on the water; there always seems to be something that I have never experienced before. The lake has given me the chance to understand that there is beauty in everything and to learn how to let go of the stress that accumulates through out the week, while allowing me to find peace when my school responsibilities get to the point where they overwhelm me.

 

 Although the last 10 weeks of school have been extremely difficult and at times exhausting, the time spent here has allowed me to maintain a level of balance. The time spent at the lake has also helped me to break away from the endless list of tasks and due dates that are present in my daily life, and has given me the opportunity to live in a peaceful atmosphere for a brief amount of time. These experiences allow me to think about many things besides my schoolwork, and to think about myself.

 

I began to notice changes in my environment as the light of the sun disappeared below the horizon and the color of the sky changed to dark blues. The gentle afternoon winds which had been blowing against me while walking had all but lost the power to do so at this time. All the leaves that had hung from the birch tree  would fall off of the branches and onto the path; the path would lead them into the river. The wind had finally begun to subside. The leaves moved smoothly and in rhythm across the water's surface. I could have sworn they moved by design. These events occurred due to natural seasonal transition that there was no escape from.

 

Watching the leaves float across the surface of the lake, with birds scattered throughout the water and the first signs of city lights starting to shine through the reflection in the water created a quiet yet meaningful experience. It reminded me of how nature's systems respond to the changing times and weather, but continue to exist and operate. In particular, the sound of the leaves falling struck a chord with me. The way the leaves gradually declined seemed like a symbol of release and rejuvenation. The leaves did not resist the change, they accepted it and continued moving with it. Like I've learned to do over the past 10 weeks of school, the leaves demonstrated an example of accepting the transition.

 

Endings create room for self-reflection, healing, and growth. The combination of the lake, dying breeze, changing light, and leaves floating on the surface of the lake created an effective metaphor for closing one chapter of your life and opening another.

For this reason, the park has become more than a weekly destination for me. It has become a comforting place for me to be, a place that has helped me to reconnect with myself, and has helped me to cope with the pressures of school, and has shown me how to find significance in the everyday ordinary experiences. Even a simple thing such as walking around the lake or watching a sunset has reminded me that peace is still accessible to me, and that it is essential for my personal and academic development to carve out time for myself.