The View Has Changed

It's been a long time since I've hiked a mountain; the ascend was steep, uneven, narrow, and triggered a few memories. The trail ahead looked familiar, but when I turned around to see where I came from, the view has changed.

Instead of bare earth and rock, I saw cement walls and rooftops. Replacing creeks and lakes were swimming pools, large and small. Scattered trees in place of dense greenery. Nitrogen oxides in the ozone limited my view, and could no longer see as far as my eyes could see. The amount of people present also prevented the feeling of complete solitude. For a time, I felt like I was at an outdoor gym.

The view has changed, indeed. Yet, there was a certain charm to the fact that within a couple of turns out of the parking lot, I was on the main road, minutes away from a hot shower and a good breakfast.

But there is no replacing the raw nakedness and innocence of nature. For now I will be happy with whatever amount of nature am blessed with. Shrubs, dirt, smog. The view has changed, indeed. But only for now.

Only In California

California still surprises me. I keep saying how much I love the state of Utah and how beautiful it is (and it still is) but sometimes I tend to be too partial and refuse to see California for it's own beauty. Traffic and the mass of female Asian drivers aside (I know, I am harsh to my own sex and race), this state may not be so bad. Where else can you be snowboarding in a blizzard in one day, and play outdoor tennis the day after? Odd that I actually welcomed the warm climate, maybe the Utah in me is starting to melt away...