After a long day of sitting down in an office chair and a 30 minute bus ride, I felt grateful to stretch my legs on my walk home. I got off the bus on 96th Street and 2nd Avenue and made my way towards the West Side. As I stepped into Central Park, I breathed in the fresh air while noticing the vibrant greens in the bushes and trees. I took this stroll whenever I had extra time in the evenings this summer.
Between walking back from my bus stop and running in the mornings, I visited Central Park almost every day. Although I have lived next to it for more than half of my life, I had never paid attention to how it changes throughout a given season. But this summer, I noticed things I never had before.
I noticed how the plants changed as the summer progressed. By June, the initial yellowish greens of early spring became a vibrant chartreuse. The cherry blossom trees shed their flowers and dark green leaves grew in. The numerous mulberry trees that lined the reservoir began fruiting. The park was full of life.
In July, I noticed that the plants develop into a deeper shade of green. Most of the early summer flowers had wilted. As rain became less frequent, the grass was drier and developed more light brown patches. After some showers, I observed how the vibrant greens in the trees and grass looked renewed.
By this time in the summer, I decided to stop listening to music while walking through the park. I remembered a wise piece of advice that Annette Stoller, my English teacher last year, had shared. She urged us not to wear AirPods while walking around, because they would prevent us from paying full attention to our surroundings.
This advice proved to be helpful. I became more aware of not only the visual aspects of nature, but the sounds as well. I heard birds in the early morning, people talking to each other while walking, my footsteps as I ran and occasionally a bike with a speaker playing music. Previously, I used music to distract myself and make my runs go by quickly. This was effective in making my runs seem faster, but not necessarily making them more enjoyable. Not listening to music allowed me to fully absorb my run.
Early August looked similar to July. However, there was one slight difference. Some oranges and reds started to peek out of the trees. By mid-August, some of the leaves on the Sycamore trees began turning brown and falling. This was nature’s sign that summer would soon come to a close and the cycle of the seasons would continue.
I also observed how the park changed throughout the day. Before 6:00 AM, there were very few people out. Some runners, bikers, and people walking their dogs were scattered throughout the park. The Reservoir water was completely placid. I could see the tail end of the sunrise in the sky and reflecting in the water, painting a beautiful picture of pale oranges and yellows along the horizon.
By 6:30 in the morning, the larger running groups would come out. These usually congregated towards the south end of the Park and consisted of more than 50 people. I would pass by them stretching and warming up in huge circles. Biking groups of around 10 people also started to become more prevalent around then. Additionally, more ripples would appear on the reservoir.
After 7:00, the main road was bustling with runners and bikers. I had assumed that running in the morning would mean I could enjoy the park scenery in solitude. On the contrary, I was surrounded by countless others. However, this offered a different sense of calm. I felt connected to these strangers next to me in a way, since we all had one thing in common: a love for running.
By noticing these small details about Central Park and its visitors, I felt more connected with my environment. Paying more attention to my surroundings allowed me to live in the moment and slow time down a bit. I am looking forward to seeing Central Park change even more in the coming seasons, although I am not excited for the colder temperatures. I also hope to carry this mindset of living in the present and being observant into other aspects of my life as the school year begins.
