Nature... A Great Excape!

Growing up in a small Pennsylvania town, nature has always been a place of comfort for me. Some of my favorite memories involve curling up next to a campfire or going for a walk in the park. Since I moved to New York City, I’ve found nature to be even more important, discovering parks to explore, and meeting up with friends along the way.

On my first trip to Central Park, I decided to take my roommate, Kenneth, along with me. We took the subway from 168th to the 96th street station and were lucky to have a warm day to explore. It was nice being able to unwind from our busy day to day lives. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we ended up walking about 35 blocks in total, stopping by the lake on our way to take in its beauty. I grew up right by Lake Erie, so whenever I’m surrounded by water, I feel at home.

As we continued on our journey, we came across several statues, an obelisk, gifted by the Egyptian government, several theatre spaces, and Belvedere Castle. The amount of sites to see within the park is AMAZING! We weren’t able to see everything in Central Park that day, but we covered a lot of ground and left excited to explore it further in the future.

One day, I met up with my friend Dorian, whom I met at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre this past year. I loved catching up and seeing sites I hadn’t yet explored within Central Park. On our journey, we came across a cute marketplace and found ourselves in the Besthesda Terrace; the place where part of the “Stuart Little” movie was filmed, as Dorian reminded me. There are still places within Central Park I haven’t seen, like the Central Park Zoo, but already what I’ve observed has left me satisfied. Every time I go, there’s always something new to see. There’s a different energy in the park, and it always leaves me feeling renewed.

Luckily, I also live right next to a dog park with a GORGEOUS view of the George Washington bridge. I look forward to the spring when I can easily sit outside, watch the dogs happily play with one another, and breath in the beauteous nature that surrounds me. It’s amazing how much a trip to the park can renew your energy and leave you feeling whole again. It’s my escape, and I can’t wait to find other nature spots within this wondrous city.