Victoria's Nature Journal

     During the snowstorm, I woke up early and experienced the most beautiful morning despite the cold. The sun was rising over the water, and everything felt calm and still. It was slightly windy, but peaceful, and all I could hear was the snow crunching beneath my feet as I walked. The ground was completely covered in white, icy snow. The bare tree limbs were coated in ice, which glistened when the sunlight hit them. It was so cold that morning that I could see my breath, and water vapor was rising off the lake. There was so much vapor that it appeared white, making the lake look as if it, too, were blanketed in snow. The combination of the white water vapor, ice covered trees, and snow-covered ground created a magical, almost unreal setting. Being outside in that moment made me slow down and fully take in my surroundings.     After walking around for a while with my dog, I heard splashing in the distance. A group of ducks were swimming around in the pond...

       Over this past weekend, a severe ice storm swept through several states in the United States. Although many people may feel consumed by cabin fever during storms like this, I found it to be the perfect opportunity to slow down, relax, catch up on work, and spend time bonding with those around me. I was fortunate enough to go home and stay with my parents and grandparents during the storm.       It was a sunny day with a clear sky, yet the ground remained covered by white snow. While walking outside that morning with my dog, everything felt quiet, broken only by occasional laughter from the kids next door sledding down the hill. I could hear the snow crunch beneath my snowshoes and my dog's paws as we walked.       Unfortunately, that peaceful morning took a turn when my grandpa slipped, fell, and hit his head. He needed to go to the hospital, but our driveway was steep and essentially solid ice. Neither our cars nor the ...

          After studying at a coffee shop for a couple of hours, I took a walk around an apartment complex within the shopping center to refresh my mind before continuing to study. It was a sunny, chilly evening with a light breeze. Within the shopping center, I could hear people talking, light music playing, and cars passing by. As I walked through the apartment complex, the noise from the shopping center began to fade, and it became momentarily quiet. That silence was soon filled with the sound of a corgi barking from a balcony. Although it was the middle of January, I could hear water trickling from the infinity pool. Other than that, it was mostly quiet.            As I got closer to the main road on the other side of the apartment complex, I noticed a field that, if you did not know better, you would think bordered a rural area. When I reached the open air beyond the apartments, I could hear birds flying by and chirpi...

          After my first Treks & Texts class, I walked over to Sid Rich where my next class was. On my walks between classes, I am usually texting or calling someone on my phone. During this walk, I put my phone in my bag so that I would be able to take in nature and my surroundings. On this quick walk, I observed several things. Although it had warmed up from earlier in the day, I was still cold, and the wind hitting my face did not help. When I heard the wind rustling through the trees, it caused me to look more closely at all the plants and flowers around campus. Although it was the middle of January, most of the flowers were blooming and beautiful. The gloomy, cloudy sky and the small number of people walking around created a calm and quiet atmosphere.           Nevertheless, that serenity was quickly interrupted by cars honking and racing by on University Drive. All of this noise disrupting the momentary peacefulness r...