‘Out and About’: Higher lake than by no means

Be part of Sam as he explores the ultimate frontier: the surface world. Or not less than, a portion of it.

It’s week 7, and I’m sitting at my desk. My 60-minute post-ECON 1 midterm break is approaching its eighth hour as “Blackbird” by The Beatles graces my ears. All of the whereas I lean again in my chair, reflecting on how doing nothing is actually the toughest work on the earth.

Welcome, my mates, to “Out and About.” My title is Sam, however I’ll name you Betty, and Betty, you’ll be able to name me Al. I’m a freshman, and as a result of sure unforeseeable circumstances and a predilection for a set routine, I’ve come to the belief that I’m 2000 miles away from my hometown of St. Louis, MO-Cash MO-Issues however have barely explored my new “dwelling.”

So that is the way it’s going to be for the following few weeks. I’m going to exit and do issues. Meet new individuals, strive new issues, sing karaoke, lastly eat at Ramen Nagi, break into Apple headquarters and ask for a pear, persuade the Metropolis of San Francisco to rename the Golden Gate Bridge to “The Rusted Crimson Pontoon.” You title it, I’ll strive it … after session with my legal professionals, monetary managers and first viewers (all of whom occur to be my mom). After which, I’ll write about it, hopefully providing you with 1500 phrases of pure literary excellence that make you wish to slap a beret in your shiny head, exit and discover a new expertise, all whereas asking individuals, “Is that this the place the swingin’ lovers go?” In the meantime, I can know that I found one thing new, cool and utterly attention-grabbing. Shall we start?

—

Till 23 minutes in the past I hadn’t seen the newly stuffed, newly glowing, newly reworked Lake Lagunita. Final time I used to be there it was for a summer time camp, the place we ate s’mores by the campfire and I discovered firsthand that the scent of smoke on clothes is as robust because the scent of fish in an unclaimed suitcase by an American Airways baggage declare (I’ve smelt issues … many issues … EVERYTHING). Telling individuals about my failure to go to the Lake normally resulted in them shouting “How?” “Why the hell not” and “However you reside in GovCo! Actually, it’s, Proper, THERE!” however nonetheless, I by no means went. But while you understand that your deadline on your first article is developing tomorrow and have as many phrases for it as Leonardo DiCaprio has had age-appropriate relationships, you get determined, and that’s the reason I lastly went to Lake Lagunita.

The plan was easy: get to the bottom of Lagunita, climb the hill, go to the Lake, take a look at the water, give you some aquatic-related puns (I’ve pond-erd many! Sorry, they simply circulation out of me), then name it a day. I didn’t assume that the lake can be a lot of something, particularly because it’s been so many weeks since these horrible storms.

After I climbed the hill, I used to be genuinely speechless. Speechless, I let you know! SPEECHLESS! How may such a factor occur? Like, I discuss. Quite a bit. An excessive amount of. And I lived lower than 20 minutes from the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. This wasn’t alleged to occur. You have been alleged to have learn 15 lake puns by now! The aquatic satire was alleged to be flooding you with torrents of verbal grandiosity!

But, speechless I used to be. No, I didn’t do the total stroll across the Lake, however because the solar shined its final of the day and wind did its greatest to freeze my face into an everlasting squint, I admired the great thing about all of it. I actually love Stanford’s campus, and whereas strolling it may be a little bit of a ache, there’s all the time one thing hidden round a nook: some cool constructing, tree and even statue. However it may typically really feel slender and enclosed, filled with buildings squashed shut collectively which might be usually as complementary as they’re incongruous with their environment.

However the Lake is open: there may be nothing stopping you from seeing the opposite aspect, no constructing or exercise occurring that adjustments your plans or takes your consideration away from the steps in entrance of you. It’s hills, it’s rocks, it’s a Dish, it’s a Lake: it’s the proper place to sit down round and take a sluggish breath. 

The final time I felt this skill to hit pause on my life was at Windhover, only a wee methods down the street from the Lake. At this “contemplative heart,” dedicated to self care and non secular reinvigoration, you’ll be able to nearly really feel the stress calm down its stranglehold in your mind, letting you stretch and really feel the blood transfer by your veins as soon as extra. I had beforehand thought that Windhover was the one place on campus the place you possibly can hit pause in your life. Now, it’s considered one of two. 

Alright, now for the enjoyable stuff: what are you able to see? Effectively, past the birds, the bees and the water, not a lot. On the hills you’ll be able to see beer cans and purple solo cups, ghosts of events previous that remind us all of school college students’ love for a good-ol’-fashioned lake occasion. A watermelon was attempting its damndest to return to the shore after a long time of conflict at Troy, however mighty Poseidon was having enjoyable making it go bouncy-bouncy throughout the Lake’s ripples. My favourite small element was the change within the tone of the indicators across the lake. They go from “Hazard Hold Out: Do Not Enter Water; no consuming, swimming, or leisure actions” to “To your security, please chorus from swimming or leisure actions on the water. Thanks.” 

The second signal felt like a final, determined act of politeness, like a King wanting on the victorious rebels pointing their swords at him, altering his demeanor from “Oh no you’re NOT going to put a finger on my divinely appointed buttocks!” to “So, about my years of autocratic and dictatorial rule … may we, like, completely deal with that as water underneath the bridge and permit me to proceed working as a constitutional monarch fairly please? By the best way, you look nice at present: I really like how your scars make you look terrifying — I imply, SO good-looking!”

I’ll go away you with this remaining reflection. Whereas climbing the steps to return to my dorm from the Lake (once more, it was Proper There!), I seen how a lot GovCo seemed worn down: the paint on the buildings was pale, the bushes have been useless and the dorms seemed empty. I seemed behind me once more and seen for the primary time that whereas the Lake and “Beware the Water” indicators have been new, every little thing else was previous: the trail was damaged, the homes have been equally drained.

Maybe there’s a metaphor right here. Personally, I see it as hopeful: sure, there’s a lot at Stanford that must be changed and improved, however the tradition and drive of the establishment nonetheless hum on to make one thing magical. In the meantime, others could discover it as extra destructive, one other image of how individuals get distracted by newness slightly than deal with issues mendacity patiently under the floor. As for which is extra convincing, I’ll go away that with you.

However whether or not it’s your first or hundred and first time, Lagunita is a gorgeous place to discover, unwind and mirror on no matter you need. Take pleasure in it, as a result of it’d wash away as all of a sudden because it appeared … did you get it? Uh, uh? Good one, proper? No? Yeah, alright, I do know the place the door is.