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| Photo by meeeeeee! |
I, like many, walk a lot nowadays. All over the place. And it's a primary activity for thinking and moving time along instead of sitting and stewing. So I've been outside more this summer than probably any summer in my adult past.
But yesterday I went to the beach and almost cried at the sight.
In Chicago, the lake is a living thing, and we draw power from it. I swear that's the truth. I may live in a city, and love the city, but my nature boy needs feeding too. Luckily, if I take a bus straight down the street from the end of my block it takes me right to the northern section of Lincoln Park that borders Montrose Beach. Yesterday was the first time I'd done that this year, and the first time I saw a large body of water since last year. Easily.
I made the trek fully expecting to turn around and go home once I got to my destination if crowds were large or things seemed unsafe. There was a huge police barricade reading "Park Closed" to drivers, but other than that the scene was pretty mellow and there was lots of space to stay far, far apart. The beach itself is fenced off, so I acted like a grown-up and viewed the water from a distance, and that was plenty for this beleaguered soul.
It's not that we don't see green and blue nature things in the city, but they are almost always framed within the contrasts of the city. So a park is lovely, but its boundaries are easily visible, and the experience it offers is more oasis and less full retreat. So when you can envelop yourself in a park or a beach and the only sign you're in a city is the skyline in the distance, it is a different type of nourishing experience than simply setting out there and taking in some fresh air.
So, that's it! I went to the beach! And, given how cold and dreary this morning is turning out to be, I made it in the nick of time!
But yesterday I went to the beach and almost cried at the sight.
In Chicago, the lake is a living thing, and we draw power from it. I swear that's the truth. I may live in a city, and love the city, but my nature boy needs feeding too. Luckily, if I take a bus straight down the street from the end of my block it takes me right to the northern section of Lincoln Park that borders Montrose Beach. Yesterday was the first time I'd done that this year, and the first time I saw a large body of water since last year. Easily.
I made the trek fully expecting to turn around and go home once I got to my destination if crowds were large or things seemed unsafe. There was a huge police barricade reading "Park Closed" to drivers, but other than that the scene was pretty mellow and there was lots of space to stay far, far apart. The beach itself is fenced off, so I acted like a grown-up and viewed the water from a distance, and that was plenty for this beleaguered soul.
It's not that we don't see green and blue nature things in the city, but they are almost always framed within the contrasts of the city. So a park is lovely, but its boundaries are easily visible, and the experience it offers is more oasis and less full retreat. So when you can envelop yourself in a park or a beach and the only sign you're in a city is the skyline in the distance, it is a different type of nourishing experience than simply setting out there and taking in some fresh air.
So, that's it! I went to the beach! And, given how cold and dreary this morning is turning out to be, I made it in the nick of time!
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