Macaroni

One of my favorite things about running is that I think about everything and nothing at the same time. This is why I find running highly therapeutic at times—I realize when I finish that I had essentially thought about nothing the entire time, yet I feel like I have processed a great deal of information as well. I cannot usually recall a conscious thought, but the world always seems to make a little more sense than it did when I started. I guess you could call this conscious dreaming, in a way.

                As you can probably guess, I ran instead of walked for this walking blog. I went to Rancho once again. You guys are probably getting tired of me mentioning this park every other walking blog, but I can’t help but go back when I have the time. I tried to stay slightly more aware of my thoughts during this run, although this was rather difficult because they bounce around so much. I was reminded of a game I used to play with my best friend in high school called Macaroni. When we became bored (this occurred with an unusually high frequency in our freshman geometry class), one of us would flip to a fresh page in a notebook and write down a word at the top of the page. Then the other would write the first word they thought of when they read the first, and the other would respond to that word, and so on. It could be pretty entertaining, let me tell you. We named the game Macaroni after a particularly funny game that ended with that word. Anyways, as I ran, I equated my thoughts to a game of Macaroni—flowing naturally from one topic to the next.

                I thought about autumn, trees, weddings, my old friends, airsoft games, dogs, my ex-boyfriend, camelbacks, relationships in general, the fact that I had only written the introduction of my argument paper, the changes in my life since college started, water, my own breathing, time, pathways, music. Oh, and my hatred for hills, but that was only when I was running up one. I’m sure there were plenty of other topics that I can’t remember. Some of these were inspired by my environment—autumn, the trees, dogs, water, pathways. Many others were about people and the things they like and their effects on my life, which is one of my favorite things to think about. Music is another big one. I love to listen and think about the lyrics. I feel like music turns my surroundings and my life into a moving, breathing poem. It’s a reminder that the world is beautiful.

                When I finished the run, I got the “back-to-reality” feeling. This wasn’t the best feeling in the world, but I realized this has been the best walking blog so far. I know I’ve had a truly successful break from routine when I don’t want to go back in the slightest.  

                

Architecture

The architecture of the university and the surrounding area is one of my favorite things about living on campus. I absolutely adore the brick buildings and antique structures. Many of the buildings on campus are older and seem to breathe history; those buildings that are newer, such as the LLC, still maintain this character. Although I am not knowledgeable on the specific style of architecture, I certainly appreciate it.

                On my walk, some of the most notable buildings I passed were Morrill Hall and the Davidson at the south end of campus, Lincoln Hall, and of course the Student Union and the Knowledge Center. I felt this displayed the development of the university as a whole—the older buildings such as Morrill and Lincoln represented the origins of the school, while the newer buildings show its growth and development. I love how the architecture here does this—I think it’s amazing when growth is evident with connection and maintenance of origin. This is also a value that is reflected in our society—we are always changing and moving forward, yet each of the steps before is necessary and important.

                The architecture here is a refreshing and stark change from my previous neighborhood, which was newly built five years ago. The houses are highly modern, with innovative designs and decorations on both the exterior and interior. I do enjoy this architecture as well, but I like the character that accompanies the history of the buildings on campus. So many students have passed through, and now it’s my turn to follow in their footsteps.  

UNR for the Wynn

I went to Las Vegas for the first time this weekend, and took my walk on the strip. Well, technically this was my second time—the first was in fourth grade, but all I remember about that trip was being fried like a lobster after swimming nonstop for a day at a hotel pool. So I’m counting this as my first real time.         

                The strip was—I don’t think there is any other way to put it—dazzling. I was finally in the place I had seen in all the movies, with the sparkling lights and giant hotels and showy shops. This, in itself, made me feel like I was somewhere notable. How many significant people have seen the very same places I visited? Ridden the New York New York roller coaster? Walked past the Trump hotel? Las Vegas, although it may not give off the historical vibe, is actually a location rich with history and significance. It actually took this walking blog prompt to put me in the right mindset to realize it.

                One of the facts I learned that was most fascinating to me was that the light on the top of the Luxor is one of three landmarks that can be seen from space, along with the Grand Canyon and the Great Wall of China. Knowing that I was standing in a spot that could be seen from above the Earth felt pretty cool, I must say. Or maybe I was still on a high from beating UNLV. Who knows. We also went to the Wynn, a famous casino/resort in Vegas. I researched this resort and discovered it was once a golf course—while this may not sound significant, it was interesting to consider that such a huge development had once been a dirt lot. I guess everything has to start somewhere. Enjoy the pictures below!