[contact-form-7 id="261" title="Join Our Mailing List"]
[contact-form-7 id="101" title="Event Submission"]

Walking Neenah

Posted on by Future Neenah

Five Minutes Away

wilderness park

We all live such busy lives, it seems impossible to find any time to step away from it all. Just a block from my house, I trod along down a mottled sidewalk. Glancing up, I find a seemingly endless row of trees; now, in the early summer, lush foliage reaches out in every direction, melding the trees together into living walls along the quiet street, sunlight bleeding across every leaf. The thick growth breaks apart several times to reveal small side streets or beautiful homes. Beyond the houses, I can just make out the rippling waters of Lake Winnebago. Standing high, almost blending in completely with its bright green backdrop is a sign that reads “Bayview Street,” a small road just outside of Downtown Neenah. I continue my steady pace, my fingertips tickling the flowers and bushes that grow under the shade of the trees, and take a deep breath of the sweet air. The quiet is interrupted only by the rush of a lonely car rushing past.

Suddenly, I veer off onto a more secluded trail that heads into the trees, and the sounds of cars and the city disappear completely. Instead, birds of every kind can be heard, their voices dancing along on the gentle breeze, and, if you watch carefully, you can even make out some of the fluttering fowl themselves flitting between trees. The crunching of the wood chips beneath my feet adds to the calming symphony, and I gaze up to see the forest towering around me, a harmless gust of air passing through the treetops. An occasional berry bush adds a splash of color to its green and brown surroundings. The wander through the woods takes but five minutes, and empties out at the open clearing of Wilderness Park. Back to the busy bustle of life, but next time, take the extra five minutes to reset, and enjoy the wonderful world we live in.

Article by NHS Arete Student Caroline Vitale

Comments are closed.