Nature Journal #10 San Diego

 Nature Journal # 10

Thanksgiving Break in San Diego: November 18th, 2023

I kicked off my Thanksgiving break in San Diego, CA visiting a friend before I flew back home to freezing cold St. Louis, MO. We spent a day traveling from Yorba Linda to San Diego and spending the day at the beach. Even though the water was obviously freezing and it wasn't quite a tanning type of day, hearing the sounds and breathing in the smells of the beach brought me an immense amount of peace and relaxation. It is so fun to experience somebody else's home for yourself and get to enjoy the uniqueness of their space. 

We biked along parts of the town and walked on some of the rocky hills. The sights, sounds, and smells of San Diego both grounded me and forced me to recognize the vastness of the world. Something about looking out at the ocean and seeing the never-ending water always makes me think about who is on the other side of the world...who is seeing the same ocean miles and miles away. It is crazy to me how things like the sun, stars, moon, ocean etc. exist for everyone regardless of their culture or background. The experience of listening to the waves crash against the rocks soothed me as it filled my head with a white noise of sorts. I couldn't think about the homework I had to do or the flight I had the next day; instead, I was present in that moment, in that place. 

One of my favorite moments of the day was watching seals play and swim with one another on the beach. They seemed to function in their own little world. Their noises and their playing reminded me much of how humans, especially children, play with one another. They rolled in the water with one another forming little group of, to my knowledge, friends. They utilized both their voices and their actions to communicate. I appreciated this afternoon and my ability to relate and connect with the seals on the beach. We live such different lives, but at the same time, in many ways, our actions parallel those of animals.

As I boarded the plane to St. Louis, I carried with me not only the warmth of the California sun but also a renewed appreciation for the vast and diverse experiences that make up our world. The brief Thanksgiving getaway became more than just a break – it was a reminder of the beauty that lies beyond the familiar.





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