As I prepare to leave for my study abroad semester in Córdoba, Spain, I decided to visit Wellesley’s campus to gather the last of my things and say goodbye to friends. Being here right before leaving for such a new adventure is a perfect opportunity for me to reflect on the beginning of my time at Wellesley. Much like this upcoming semester, going into my freshman year I had never visited campus. It was difficult for me to visualize what my life would be when I couldn’t even picture where I would be living. Making the leap of faith to go across the country where I knew nothing and no one, and having learned how to situate myself in a new place and eventually, make it my home, makes me feel a lot more prepared to go abroad this time around. I am so excited to transition from the excitement of a new place to having familiar sights and experiences, and I’m hopeful about how the Paulson Fellowship will help me.

For my sit spot at Wellesley, I wandered around in the snow for a bit before I settled in at Tupelo Point, a classic. The lake is completely frozen over right now, so I ventured out a little ways onto the ice, exploring the different patterns of frozen water and the way that leaves and sticks are temporarily suspended in it. I scuffed my shoe into the snow that had gathered on certain surfaces, thinking about the butterfly affect and how my amusement and disruption of the scene, while its life is dormant, could have a tiny ripple (pardon the accidental pun) effect on the natural world. As I tried to control how I slid around the frozen lake, I enjoyed being somewhat at the mercy of the elements (I don’t mean to be dramatic). It’s important for me, as someone who tries to protect and defend nature against human destruction, to be reminded of how reciprocal the relationship is. Human behavior is destroying a lot of nature, as we all know, but it remains as a whole so much more powerful than us as individuals. Nature is no weak thing.

Once I finally did sit, I noticed the quiet. The wind was loud and abrasive, but there were no leaves rustling, no birds or other animals. I could hear a truck on the nearby road, but with most smart creatures protecting themselves from the cold and no water lapping at my feet, the wind and the trucks were all I could hear. I felt cold, of course, but tried not to dwell on it if I had any desire to stay where I was. The sun was low and reflecting coolly on the ice and bare trees. I felt a little chastised for being out, though I’m always happy to bear witness to the goings on of the nature when I don’t feel like I’m supposed to be there. As gorgeous as it was, the cold did soon catch up to me and I headed back in to lunch.

Sitting at Tupelo Point is inextricable from all the memories I have there. It is always delightful to reflect on those and to think about what has changed, but I am now thrilled to be venturing to a new place, where my sit spots and exploration will carry no previous memories, exposing only what the location itself has to display. Though I am sure I will create new memories in them, I will be sure to take notice of the blank canvas of the place that, while not at all new or free of history, will be new to me.