Kalamazoo Nature Center Experience

When I was a kindergartner, one of our first field trips was to the Kalamazoo Nature Center. I didn't remember a lot of that trip, but when I walked into the lobby of the Nature Center last week, I began to remember things. Now, to start, I remembered things being a whole lot bigger the last time I was there. I guess growing a foot or so makes a difference. 

To start this trip, we began by looking at the different exhibits inside the Nature Center main building. The first thing you have to do, of course, is to become bug sized. I remember when I was little being freaked out when I walked past the "magic mirrors" and watched myself getting smaller and smaller. This time, I laughed hysterically. Once bug sized, there are little areas to explore with the different animals that Michigan contains. Before this point, I really didn't realize all the different wildlife America's High Five State actually had. For me, seeing all these animals opened my eyes to how cool and diverse the state I call home is. 

After exploring the exhibits and listening to a short but interesting presentation, it was time to take a walk through the prairie the Nature Center has grown. This was a very neat experience in that I felt like I had traveled back in time to how Michigan used to look before the towns and cities sprung up. All of a sudden, a certain calmness fell over me and for the first time in a long time I lost all stress and was just able to enjoy being outside instead of being inside studying and stressing about the large amounts of work I have to do before the week is out. This experience in the prairie also made me realize how much I miss being able to go home at night, sit on my back porch and watch the sunset over the lake. That peacefulness is something that I never really treasured until now.

After the walk through the prairie, the group split up and a few of us took a hike down to the river. Here I noticed that the leaves had started changing colors. If this wasn't a wake up call to how I need to slow down, I don't know what else could be.

Fall used to be my favorite season. I loved going to football games, drinking apple cider, and raking leaves. One of my favorite scents to this day is the smell of burning leaves. But over the last few years, I have been so busy with school and other things that I haven't really had a chance to really enjoy fall. So, I made a decision right there on the trail to the river that this year I am going to enjoy fall the way I used to. 

After another hour or so at the Nature Center, it was time to go back to school and go back to the stressful life of a college student. But, after classes that day, I went out and bought a rake. I made a vow to myself that at least once a week I would go outside in my backyard for at least and hour this fall and rake leaves. This way I know that I can begin to truly enjoy fall the way that I used to.