02 My Relaxing Afternoon Walk on the Trinity: Trinity Trails, Fort Worth TX

I’ll admit it... when class ended early on Wednesday and we were told to go enjoy nature for the remainder of the afternoon, I was overjoyed. My past week had consisted of hours of zoom calls, endless homework, and trying to get back into the groove of school. The week was busier than expected and went by in what felt like seconds. Therefore, when we were told to take the rest of the day and spend it outdoors, I immediately went to my quiet place for a couple hours of calmness, relaxation, and a much needed recharge. Because as many romantic writers have said, outdoor experiences can be healing.

As I arrived at Trinity Trails, I realized that this would be my first time there without having the intention of going for a run. There would be no worrying about my music, mileage, or setting any goals for myself. I was excited to get to experience the Trails with no real agenda or plan, but instead to just walk and admire everything around me.

Setting off on my walk, the first thing I noticed were the clouds, wind, and weather. Looking at the path and view ahead as I ventured, I kept taking note of the clouds. It seemed that every few minutes, the sky was changing right in front of me with a great variety of white, puffy clouds accompanied by dark, stormy ones. Because of the hurricanes that were hitting the country to the east, Fort Worth was also receiving some weather. Throughout my walk, I experienced everything from the hot, Texas sunshine to the threatening, strong winds and everything in between. During the last 30 minutes of my walk, I was also accompanied by the earthy and immensely strong smell of rain, which I happen to love. Overall, this strange, varying weather made me surprisingly happy. Getting to hyper-focus on all of the different elements of nature going on around me was a unique experience and the perfect destresser. 

Aside from the weather, I focused on another aspect of the Trinity Trails that I usually do not: the people who occupy it. While running, I often find myself completely zoning out, singing along to the lyrics of my music in my head, or thinking about how far I’ve gone or have left to go. Therefore my only real interaction or instances where the other people on the trail pop into my mind is when I give a slight wave to other runners passing by me or when I move out of the way for a bike to whiz by. Today’s walk on the Trinity was different in the fact that I got to slow way down and really look at the people around me. 

What I saw was a great variety of people doing a great variety of things. I saw runners, walkers, bikers, people fishing, and people sitting. I saw people alone, chatting with friends, walking hand in hand, pushing kids in strollers, and walking dogs. Although all of the people I encountered were doing different things with different people, we all had one thing in common: that we chose to spend our evening enjoying the Trinity Trails. This thought brought a smile to my face and a sense of appreciation for our community.

With everything going on in the world today, it was refreshing to see so many people taking the initiative to go outside and simply enjoy nature. The experience that I had on the Trinity this evening also proved to me the importance of stepping away from the computer, getting outside of the house, taking big breaths of fresh air, and ultimately, letting the healing powers of the outdoors do their thing.