It’s the last blog post, which means my time in Geneva is coming to an end! It’s also getting chillier, and the sun isn’t out as long, which makes getting up to run to my sit spot a bit of a drag. Still, after class yesterday, I grabbed my fleece-lined leggings and beanie, and headed out right before the sun started to set. When I reached Parc Barton, the sun was sinking below the horizon, and the light reflecting off the lake was so beautiful. I tried to capture it with my phone camera, but it was one of those moments where your eyes capture the scenery far more beautifully than a camera. I used to feel annoyed when that happens, but now I’m starting to appreciate that feeling. Me and nature, alone for a moment in which no one can intrude. A special moment the Earth has prepared for just myself. If I could ask my spot to share all its stories, I think these are the ones it would share–the moments of intimate solitude with nature.
I noticed that recently, a small placard has been put up at my spot. The placard shows an oil painting of the skyline from my spot. It’s hard to avoid mentions of nature in Switzerland, it’s clearly a point of pride for the country. While taking the bus to class, there’s a screen flashing advertisements and headlines of the day. There’s one particular bank advertisement which shows some people biking through a forest. When walking through the train station, the same bank has posters up, depicting a family hunched around a campfire. A few weeks ago, while returning from a weekend trip, I noticed the train was packed with people carrying ski gear. Even for people who live in cities, spending time outdoors is a regular priority. I hope I can incorporate this more in my daily life when I come back home, whether it means choosing to run outside over heading to the gym or taking the time to take a break in nature rather than doomscrolling. I’m still deciding how I will represent nature in my final project. I’m deciding between a digital or physical project, but I know I want to capture the nature I come across on my run. From the more pristine, isolated conditions of the park, to the plants stretching into the sidewalk, I want to capture them all. For all the depictions of nature I see in my daily life, they all represent that more “pristine” side of nature; go into the mountains, trek to this waterfall, get out of the city! Yet something I’ve taken away from my time here is that nature doesn’t have to be separated from our city life. Nature can be embedded in our daily lives. I want to reflect that sentiment in my project.
Pictures:
- Entre Nature et Peinture – The oil painting of the skyline from Parc Barton
- Jungfraujoch – The view from the highest railway station in Europe!
