Friday was a beautiful day. The weather was perfect and there was a slight breeze blowing my hair all around. As I waited for the clock to strike 5, signaling the start of my callbacks, I decided to enjoy the weather and take a trip over to Tempe Town Lake.
As I walked from my apartment, I noticed the road was congested with cars. Walking along Mill Ave., I noticed many people walking to and from restaurants and shops. Some people were casually dressed while others were dressed for the office. I walked by a couple angrily discussing about where to go for food. I'm pretty sure they ended up going to Five Guys. As I got closer and closer to Tempe Beach Park, the fewer the amount of people who were out. I passed by a street performer playing the guitar. I nodded my head to his music as I passed on by nearing my destination.
When I arrived at Tempe Beach Park, there was not many people in sight. A few people here and there were walking around but it felt like I was the only one there. I walked along the path nearing the lake, noticing all the water soaked fields that surrounded me. Once I got to the bank of the lake, I decided to go right and follow the trail parallel to the lake.
The sun was shining down on me as I followed the trail. It felt wonderful not having anything to do except enjoy nature and feel the breeze all around me. As I walked, I noticed birds chirping and saw a few fly from tree to tree; they were probably stretching out their wings. The trees stretched out and tried to touch each other's branches as the wind slowly swayed them back and forth. To my left was the lake glistening in the afternoon sun. To my right were buildings that were massive. One right after another, the buildings lined the skyline of the lake and gave a nice reflection to the lake and its surroundings.
As I continued forward, I waved to a couple that jogged past me going towards the park. I took a sip of water after seeing the runners; they reminded me of the fact that I should stay hydrated in the Arizona weather. After drinking half the bottle, I started to look around and notice more and more people. Some were on the same trail that I was on while others were exiting the office buildings ready to go home and enjoy the weekend. The birds flew by again as I neared Rural Rd. and I thought to myself what the view is like from their perspective. Having that amazing vantage point would open up a new world to view and explore. This thought enticed me as I rounded the corner heading back towards home and I started to think about being a bird. Flying around and getting to be in different places within minutes would be awesome and a great way to travel and see sights you've never seen before.
Soon enough, I passed the ASU baseball stadium and I realized that I would be back on campus and in the midst of all of my responsibilities. Thinking back to the walk, I was extremely happy and very present as I walked along the bank of the lake. I will definitely take this route again as it is very relaxing and a great way to get back to my apartment if I want to take a slight detour through Downtown Tempe.
Until next time, I will leave you with a quote from Moslih Eddin Saadi.
"A traveler without observation is a bird without wings."
In other words, the cliché of stopping to smell the roses definitely has meaning. When you travel, even if it is to take a walk, make sure to soak in the sights, sounds, and smells. Don't miss out on the simple things.
