My Sense of Place

Moringa Tree

I grew up in Miami, so I never really had the opportunity to be immersed in the natural world. I was always around noise, construction and the hustle and bustle of the “city life.” The times when I had the opportunity to just take a moment, look around and actually see the things around me (which wasn’t often where I lived), I felt at peace. That started to happen when I was traveling more consistently, going to various countries in Europe and having the ability to see all of these exotic environments. For example, the fjords in Norway, the mountains in northern Spain and the crystal-clear, turquoise waters in Greece. But, when I would come back home, I would just stay home. I never ventured out and did anything “outdoorsy” until the Food Forest and the Wet Walk today. If I could identify my sense of place, that isn’t home and actually is me having a life, I would definitely say the Food Forest, Oak Hammock and Cypress Dome.

The Food Forest totally opened my eyes to how many things are actually edible right in our backyard. For example, the mulberry. I probably ate about 10 of those today and if I wouldn’t have taken this class, I guarantee I would’ve never tried it. The moringa leaves acting as a substitute for pepper, and another plant that can act as a remedy for mosquito bites. One of the main reasons why I have adopted this as a sense of place is because I love to try new foods. As I’ve traveled over the years, I’ve tried many, many different kinds of food, so doing this today felt very familiar. I think familiarity when doing new things is definitely a plus. It also helps a lot when the food that you’re trying is very good.

Oak Hammock

Now, when I was walking towards the Oak Hammock, I was instantly reminded of walking to Hakaka Falls in Hawaii, which is weird because they look nothing alike (aside from similar palm trees). One is a trail up a mountain to see a waterfall, and the other is the entrance to a nature trail on a college campus. I just remember the amount of trees and their size, so I think there’s some overlap there.  Also, as someone who doesn’t really like being outside during the summer because of the mosquitoes, intense heat, etc., I could’ve sat on those benches for a while. Again, it’ a calmness I haven’t felt at that level before. I’m the type of person whose mind is constantly going a million miles per hour. I’ve tried many things to remedy that, but nothing does it like being out in that kind of setting. Maybe it has to do with Nature Deficit Disorder and the green landscape providing that sense of calmness? I spend a lot of my time in doors, or on my phone, and while I drive I don’t look at anything besides the cars in front of me. Maybe this experience was forcing me to actually look around and take things in.  

Cypress Dome

Next, the Cypress Dome. I could hear the wind in the trees. I could hear birds chirping and those sounds echoing throughout the area. I don’t normally hear any of that so clearly, as if there was nothing else around us. Like I said, my experience with nature is usually outside of the country, so now that I know that I have this rich environment on campus is really awesome. It seems to be the perfect place to go to if you want to be in your own thoughts, unwind, and just explore.

So, if today is any indication, my sense of place helps calm my mind and experience familiar things in a new environment. As a journalist, while I’m out interviewing people and writing stories, it’s usually inside and then sitting in front of my computer. I want to be outside more, but I never found that place until today, and maybe it’s because I was never looking for it. But, I’m extremely glad that I went out there today. Aside from it being a part of the class, it’s something I needed. I truly needed this.