Nature is a powerful thing. Just one step outside can change your mood, your outlook on the day or even your whole life, and can make you feel so much better about everything.
Throughout the day I felt very claustrophobic and trapped inside the school, surrounded by people that for the most part I don't particularly enjoy being surrounded by, and stuck inside my head swimming in the negative thoughts that just wouldn't go away. This is how it goes most days, it's a kind of routine or pattern that I've fallen into and have been experiencing difficulty getting out of.
I knew the weather report for the day before we actually went outside. According to the Weather Channel it would reach a whopping 79 degrees, more than 20 degrees hotter than what's normal for this late in October. On a normal day this might have made me happy, but all I could think about was how the drastic temperature change was strange and almost scary. There couldn't be a logical reason for it, and I was jumping to think the worst of the situation.
When I was informed that we would be going outside for English class today, I was a bit skeptical at first. I didn't really want to deal with the wind messing up my hair, or the sun making me squint and causing a headache. Again with the negative thoughts. I kept my complaints and negativity to myself and tried to tell myself that it would be fine. I gathered up my notebook and pencil and followed the class through the doors.
Immediately when I stepped outside I was almost overwhelmed with the perfection of the day. The sun felt warm on my skin, and I could feel it soaking in, as if it wanted a last attempt to give me a tan before the winter's clouds and cold took over. The air was warm, with no humidity and a gentle breeze. It did blow around my hair and my notebook paper, but it wasn't irritating as I had suspected. It was sort of peaceful. Its invisible strength tossed around the fallen leaves and made them dance across the grass. The wind hummed in my ears and the birds sang their songs, adding a calming, relaxing effect to the experience. The air smelled clean, with the occasional interruption of smoke from leaves burning.
The exposure to the beautiful day cleared my mind of all my stress, and really helped me get out of my head. I felt light and free and had hope that the rest of the day would be enjoyable. Sometimes getting out of a stuffy building and away from other people is exactly what I - and I'd imagine most people - need. Maybe we should all take a minute every day to step outside and just let it all go...
