Where Sasha Walks

Two Sundays ago, before the Super Bowl, my best friend/roommate and I decided to walk fifteen miles around Fort Worth. We started at 12:30 in the afternoon and did not finish until a little after 5:00. What began as something casual quickly turned into an immersive way of seeing the city and noticing the nature that surrounds our campus.   We covered TCU’s campus, the surrounding neighborhoods, much of University, and eventually connected to the Trinity River Trail. From there, we walked past Clearfork and Press Cafe, one of my favorite restaurants. After our fourth mile, and a cup of water from a restaurant we passed, I proposed that we put our phones away and walk quietly for a while. I wanted to see how Maddie's and my observations would differ.  One of the first things Maddie noticed was how many people were out (though it was a really nice day). Families pushed strollers along the trail, and the runners and bikers passing us were never-ending. Even in the four neighborhoo...

Last week, Fort Worth experienced winter weather, including snow, sleet, and ice. While the city received only a few inches of snow, walking around campus that day felt completely different from any other day. On the morning of Sunday, January 25th, I decided to take a short walk near my house around ten in the morning. When I stepped outside, the campus looked like a quiet winter scene, covered in thin layers of powdery snow, with icicles hanging from my house and trees. Some patches of the ground were slick with ice, while others crunched softly beneath my shoes. I layered up to stay warm, but the cold felt refreshing (it "felt like" -1 degrees on my weather app). The sun was shining brightly, which made the snow sparkle, a contrast to the gray skies from the day before. I realized I enjoy cold weather when there is no rain, wind, or clouds! On a normal morning, the streets around campus are filled with cars, students walking to class, and background noise from everyday lif...