The Evening Promenade

So, I recently moved back to my old house after a year's long of remodeling. Because of my hectic schedule and other reasons, I've began taking nightly walks.

Taken with the HTC One (supposedly has a great camera)

Let's just say that I really miss my childhood town. Every corner and every bush I pass by contains a small memory of the fondest times.

I remember walking home with Emma in the 5th grade. We'd pretend to be the Winx and just dance along the sidewalk. We'd spend forever watching the monarch butterflies dance off the flowers. Every now and then, we'd  dab their wings. You know, it's said that the golden dust on their wings brings good luck.

Are these pictures high-quality?

I also remember biking up and down the streets with Michelle, Emily, Miranda or Avani. As for my latest expedition, Avani and I would ride with our phones blasting from our pockets, singing "Bohemian Rhapsody", Michael Jackson, Hairspray. I remember like it was just yesterday, but guess what? That was more than a year ago!

I'm feeling pretty tired now. Nostalgic, perhaps? Sad, when I look back at all these happy memories and realize it was years ago. It's wonderful though-- that I can still walk around and remember how it was.

There's also a certain type of aura to this town. Maybe my bias is just getting towards me, but as soon as I stepped out of the house, I felt at peace. Especially around 7:30, the sun casts this wonderful glow that makes everything look brighter and sharper. (That may also explain why the pictures are so bright.) Then, when I'm walking home at 8:30, I see night slowly consuming everything. The colors blend everywhere, and it absolutely just takes my breath away.

Now, I may sound totally lame (and I probably do), but I'm tired so spare me the hate. What I love most about this town is the life. It's the tiniest city in the area. It borders 3 larger ones and you can easily bike from one end to another (North-South borders) within 30 minutes. But to me, it's also the liveliest town. Maybe this might change when the school year swings around, but around 7:30 everyone is around! I see friends from elementary school. I see college kids kicking around a soccer ball. I see toddlers, dogs, old grandparents, and working adults. I see runners, athletes, and every sort of healthy, happy person around. Granted, it's not perfect. (I saw a giant feud break out in the middle of a park last night.) I think our town is pretty great though. I went out for plenty of walks in the complex I was living in for the past year. The only people I saw were tired people straggling home or hyperactive 8 year-olds shooting nerfs at each other.

It's a different community here. These past couple days, I've been walking, and I feel great whenever I'm out. I've been hanging out with Ishani and Avani; they're incredibly uplifting. I tried playing soccer with the college kids, and that wasn't the most ego-boosting activity... but it was super fun!

Anyways, what I guess I wanted to say is that I'm glad I'm home. <3