Nature Journal #4: Lake Worth

 This weekend, I visited Lake Worth with a group of friends for one of their birthdays. I had never been to Lake Worth before, so I was excited for the new adventure ahead. I enjoyed the unconventionality of this birthday party. Instead of simply having a night out, we would be journeying out into nature. We began our night with a delicious dinner at Flower Child at University Park Village. After this, we made the half hour drive to the lake. The busy streets and freeways of student-infested Fort Worth dwindled down into single lane roads and dirt paths. It felt like an entirely different city due to the drastic difference between the center of the city and the outskirts. We parked our cars and began our journey down the hill to the lake shore.

The walk down to the lake felt like it took ages. The terrain, consisting of uneven dirt, rocks, roots, bushes, and trees, made it difficult to maneuver. Large rocks and sudden drop-offs made us resort to holding each others hands on the way down to prevent us from falling. As I made my way down, I became concerned with how I would make my way back up, especially if it was dark out. Once we got to the bottom, I was amazed by the vastness of the lake and the serene views that presented in front of me. The group of us laid blankets on top of some elevated rocks and sat down.

As we played some card games and enjoyed cookie cake, I observed the environment that I was surrounded by. The sky was completely covered with light gray, voluminous clouds. I could see tiny rays of light peeking through the small gaps of the clouds. Off in the distance, I could see a small, brush-covered island called Willow Island. Despite the blankets covering the rocks, I could still feel the bumps and ridges through it as I sat down. The ground by the water consisted of small pebbles of different abstract shapes and colors. There were also white shells scattered along the shore, uninhabited by their previous gastropod owners.

The water was peaceful and calm, which contrasted greatly compared to our canoeing trip. Although we did not enter the water, I watched it intently as the even ripples arrived at shore. This landscape was a peaceful escape from the worries of school. We climbed up the hill as it began to get dark, after watching the sunset. This was frightening because it was difficult to see, but our phone flashlights assisted us. I appreciated the way that we integrated our plans with nature. Instead of eating our dessert and playing card games inside, we opted to move these plans outside. I learned that almost any activity can be intermixed and appreciated outside.