The starting point for this exercise was my apartment in Irvine, CA. It felt great to be outside. It was around 70 this morning – typical SoCal weather in November. As I walked around the neighborhood, I paid more attention to the architectural details on the townhomes near my unit and the various greenery surrounding the area. I never noticed how intricate the tip of the townhomes looked. There were also palm trees everywhere along with a few bunnies that popped in and out of bushes. Many neighbors hung American flags outside and there were still remnants of Halloween decoration near the front doorstep. A few neighbors were out and about walking their dogs, but the majority of the neighboorhood was very quiet for a 10 AM on a Saturday.
One interesting thing I learned was that I lived near a construction/waste management area. There’s a black gate near the south perimeter of the neighborhood. Outside the gate was a bike trail known as the Peter Canyon’s Trail. Across the bypass, I could see tall metal equipment. There was a foul smell in the air from the trash/landfill. A neighbor walked past me and noticed I was sketching. She thought I was bird watching.
I found this exercise very therapeutic, and it’s nice to take in our surroundings every now and then without the interruption of social media or our phones.