Lets Take Some Time on the Trail...

So it is summer time here, in case you didn't know. And what does that mean you may ask? Why does it matter that the summer is here?

For starters, it is warm. No, sorry, that's a lie. It is HOT! I mean most days above 25 degrees Celsius is hot. Anywho, what does the temperature have to do with a blog post? Well i could talk about how the temp has been rising for a while, and how it keeps going up due to people's actions.

But actually that is a side note to what i am writing here, kinda the hidden message, the words behind the words. See, i am taking summer courses, just encase you have forgotten. And something i have started doing is biking from my house to class on campus. That is about... well i dunno, but i do know that it is above 8 kilometers there and back.

Yes, i am attempting to exercise and be healthy. And it helps that i live in a relatively beautiful city, true my area is not exactly the nicest part of said city, but i get to bike through the nicer areas on a long bike trail which runs up to the university along the river. There is a lot of forested area and un.... well i don't know what exactly to call it but basically- UNMAINTAINED!!! sorry but i realized the perfect word to use until that moment.

Ahem... Now so many of the areas are unmaintained (hee hee) meaning that weeds, plants, and wild flowers grow alongside weeds, vines, and trees. And it creates this beautiful chaos that really is hard to find inside the rest of the city. It creates these places where animals can scamper around without people bugging them.

On my trips up to the university i have seen rabbits, robins, crows, herons, among others. I actually see milkweed which is wonderful because the decline in monarch butterflys which makes me really sad. OK, let me explain that.

My favorite butterfly is the monarch, why? i dunno but i have always loved them since i was tiny. (and yes i once was tiny!) Anywho, due to milkweed being considered, well, a weed, people kill it, pull from their gardens. Farmers spray and remove it. And because that is the only thing that the caterpillars which turn into butterflys.

But anywho, back to the story, so i bike back and fourth and see all these things and notice that people the entire route are simply looking at the black asphalt in front of them, looking at the ground, or the horizon. They aren't smiling, they aren't enjoying their journey because they are so fixated on getting to the end.

And i guess being in university has also pointed out to me that so many people are rushing to the end of their degree, rushing to finish without taking the time to enjoy the classes, enjoy talking to their profs, and enjoy learning. I mean does anyone else remember being a kid and loving learning or am i the only one that nerdy?

And if i am, i suggest you all give it a try. Focus more on the learning and less on the pride, more on the journey and less on the destination. And when all else fails, pull over and ask for directions, you never know who you are gonna meet.