Kirstin Timmons; OUtside Setting #2 (Journal #6)

 Though the Noland Trail was quite the experience, and yes I've walked it many times before this class and plenty after it, there is another place that comes to mind when speaking on spirituality. Simply put; my neighborhood. I know I know, it's nothing special, however, the air of my neighborhood is just different. I've noticed every crack, every line, every change in texture on the road. I spot cats, Opossums, raccoons, mice, birds, and squirrels. I hear dogs, and people, and the shifting of the wind in the trees. I see how the rain puddles in certain areas and almost completely dries in others. I've lived in the house I'm in now for 13 years of my life. I know every car, every flag, and every stop sign in my neighborhood and yet it never fails to look stunning. I make a point to walk around that neighborhood once a day every single time I'm home, this started early in high school. There are rarely people outside, a lot of the houses are abandoned and old, and yet the atmosphere is alive. Some houses have burnt down. Some have been reclaimed by vines and trees. Some houses look like they haven't been touched in decades and yet someone may live there. The animal life is just as diverse if not more so than the types of people I find there. The atmosphere is alive and thriving, even with the lack of people. The energy is well and strong and I somehow feel more grounded, more connected to the earth in this neighborhood. A feeling I can say I don't have very often.