Posted on May 13, 2016May 13, 2016 in beach, meadow, mountains

Good Talks

Santa Barbara, California

Growing up in a town like Santa Barbara, many of the activities are based on the natural environment. Usually when it’s a sunny weekend, you would find me and my friends lounging at the beach. When it is chilly, I’ll be dancing on the top of a mountain.

Pictured above are my friends Bella and Grace picnicking after school at a local park. This day was a few weeks ago and it was spontaneous. I was getting home from school and my friend Bella texted me and asked if I wanted to meet me at the park close to my house. It was a little bit of a surprise, but I had a good time. I have already done a blog post on this magical park and I recommend checking it out ( https://inchartopia.com/2016/04/20/queen-of-the-woods/).

We spent a long time at the park, climbing trees, and enjoying our surroundings after a long day at school. I felt at peace. We sat in the long grass and talked about things we want to do in our lives and things we dislike in our lives. I realized then that nature does not only make me and others happy, but also brings people together.

Some people feel that coffee shops are the best place to hang out and talk to someone, but I disagree. When you hike with someone up a mountain, that is when the good conversions start flowing. They may be all complaints about the dust or blisters, but sometimes after you have been hiking for a hour and so and you are so done, that’s when one becomes vulnerable. That’s when the good talks happen. And then you wonder why does this matter? As you know, we live in the age of technology. It’s a great thing to be able to send a message across the world in a second, but there are also some problems that come with it. This problem is the lost of physical connection. We are so into with saying “what’s up” over text with the answer of “I’m good! wbu?” The end of the conversation. Done. Nothing else.

vsco-photo-3 — At the beach with my friends

So instead of just texting someone this weekend, go out of your way and take a friend to a park or on a hike and ask, “What’s up?”

In person.

vsco-photo-5

Much Love and Peace,

Charlotte

Posted on May 4, 2016May 4, 2016 in meadow

Nothing Gold Can Stay

FullSizeRender
“Then leaf subsides to leaf,
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day
Nothing gold can stay. ” -Robert Frost,

Summerland, CA

This morning I woke up at 6 am anxious. I got myself together and booked it to my favorite coffee shop, The French Press. While I was ordering my ice coffee the lady taking my order asked me what I had planned for the rest of the day. I answered with a simple reply of I am taking an AP Computer Science test. Her facial expression changed quickly from a tired gaze to a short laugh, then a “glad I’m not you” look. She handed me my coffee as if she gave me gold. After that I was off and on my way hyped on a bagel and caffeine.

About four hours later I finished my test and as Shakespeare puts it, “Twas’ a rough night.” (Macbeth, Act 3, Scene 4), but it wasn’t night. It was bright and early in the morning. I just thought that quote was relatable. Computer science is hard, but most of the time I have fun with it. Even though I feel like I failed the test, I am proud that I did it. I felt like a queen after taking the test, I hugged all my friends as if I just won a battle.

To celebrate, my friend Kelsey and I left school . We went to the beach. As I felt golden, the sky was gray. We left the gloomy beach after drinking our oreo milkshakes, and headed to the mustard greens meadow in Summerland, just south of Santa Barbara. I did a blog post about this yellow magical meadow earlier. But this was earlier, and now most of the leaves were brown. There was a small patch of yellow left in the meadow. I savored the last of the golden field and ran around through the tall weeds without luckily getting stung by a bee for hours. It was a nice celebration to be there after taking that test in the morning. Nature is always a party

It makes me sad to see the meadow turn brown, but it reminds me of the Buddhist term, impermanence , which basically means nothing is forever and to enjoy the beautiful things in life for the moment.

Much Love and Peace,

Charlotte

Posted on April 20, 2016April 28, 2016 in meadow

Queen of The Woods

Hale Park, Montecito

“Ah so you have finally taken me to Chartopia,” she said gazing up at the eucalyptus tree.

“Indeed I have,” I replied with a smirk.

I woke up my friend, Lily, early on Saturday morning. I offered her some coffee as a nice gesture for terribly waking her up before noon . She declined my coffee offer, and I told her I had somewhere to take her. I drove, got out of the car, and jumped over the stone wall that opens up into Hale Park, also known (to me) as Chartopia.

As you can see, I call this park Chartopia like the name of my blog. It is what actually gave me the inspiration to start blogging about the places around me as I feel this park represents how beautiful the world can be. This place is untouched, and you don’t get much of that anymore as the industrialization of the world is becoming more prominent. It is like they feel the need to fill every square inch of Earth with cement or man-made structures! What surprises me is that I barely spot any people whenever I am there, and I go there a lot. Where am I after school? The park. On weekends? The park.

This is because I can go and sit and just stare at lovely, purple flowers, or lay in the middle of a wild grass field with a book. I feel like a kid, and I think that is what makes me so happy. People need places to go to be alone, or a place they feel comfortable at where they can reconnect with themselves. For me, I feel most comfortable in nature, and I think many people would agree. I feel like metaphorically “The Queen of the Woods” whenever I go to Hale Park because I have the place to myself, and it is my happy spot. It is Chartopia! As a teenager who is loaded up with school, homework, AP tests, and stress, it is so important to take a break and enjoy the beautiful parks, mountains, and/or beaches that surround us. Lily loved the park and I brought some more of my friends there this morning… we had a really great time!

Nature is a place worth spending time in. Happy almost Earth Day!

Much Love and Peace,

Charlotte