Entry 1 - Brief Walk Outside

 Anish Doshi // 1-13-26

    Today I completed my first Treks & Texts honors colloquia class at TCU. I have heard many good things, and now reflecting on the first day, I can confidently say I am excited to learn more throughout this semester. As I left class today, I felt a light breeze hit my face as I walked down the steps. As I walked, I did my best to stay fully present and immersed in the moment. My phone was put up, my eyes were scanning my surroundings, and I listened to each and every sound. An honors class I took previously called Mind, Body, Ecology with Dr. Blake Hestir taught me how to engage actively in each and every present moment, and I implemented this practice on my walk home. 

    I was thoroughly pleased in how the weather turned out this afternoon. I have had class since eight in the morning, and at that time it was rather chilly. It warmed up around thirty degrees or so from that point in the day, which made my walk even more pleasurable. I observed squirrels chasing after each other and the crunch of leaves beneath my feet.  I observed the lawn-care staff of TCU blowing pollen and grass off the sidewalks to make them clear for students leaving class. I see them hard at work almost every morning, and it pleases me to know that my university cares to keep our campus nice and clean all the time. I am fortunate to be in this situation, but I know not everywhere in the world is like this, and it made me sad to think of the pollution and littering that are rampant in other places. I am excited to get to work at the nature refuge where I think we will collectively be able to make an impact on cleaning up the environment, even in a small way. I continued my walk by witnessed cars rolling in and out of the parking lot, and pondered just how interesting it is that everyone is in their own little worlds, while still all being part of the same world. 

    I live a short walk from campus, but still during this quick walk, I became more aware of how lush TCU is compared to other campuses I have seen around the country, and for that I felt a wave of gratitude because of my deep appreciation of nature. I downloaded the app plantnet on my phone to learn more about the plants and greenery in my surroundings, and found that the tree in my yard is a burr oak (Quercus macrocarpa). I looked up and down, noticing that almost all the leaves had come off, however the few leaves that were remaining were a beautiful mix of red and yellow that was enjoyable to see. I sat next to the tree in my chair and enjoyed the sun shining on my face for a few moments longer before heading to my next activity.