Taylor Walters - April 8, 2026: Mariners' Lake (Free-Choice Entry)

Our class visited Mariners' Lake and I've actually been there before with my friends, so it was cool to experience it initially a totally different way this time. We looked at different types of trees, stood by the water in silence, and just noticed things. Sounds in the distance, the difference between natural sounds like birds and water versus human made ones like cars and planes passing by. It sounds simple but it was actually pretty interesting to notice things that I would have missed on a regular basis. The speaker shared the slogan of Mariners' Lake which is something like "connect with the water amid a serene forest filled with adventure and wonder" and we focused on three words specifically: serene, adventure, and wonder. I thought that was a really interesting set of words to sit with because they point to completely different kinds of experiences. I think that serenity is quiet and still, adventure is active and a little unpredictable, and wonder is that feeling of being genuinely moved by something. I think the fact that one place can hold all three says a lot about what nature can offer if you actually show up and pay attention. It connected for me to everything we've discussed in the past about poetic language and aesthetic events. I don't believe you can really plan wonder, it kind of just happens when you're present enough to let it.

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