A is for Alone
Prompt 2.01 – Campus Map of the Imagination; Photograph and text; Monday, Oct 13
As I embark on my walking journey for this project, I walk alone. Usually, when I walk around I walk with my friends, whether that be to and from the bus stop, or on campus. In the brief time that I was walking alone outside, I felt calm. My mind is normally full of thoughts on what I have to do, or what assignments I have going on, and it’s rarely ever in the present. As I walk alone I let go of every background thought in my head, and all the stress slowly fades, and I feel an emotion of calmness I haven’t felt in a while. Walking by myself helped me look at my surroundings in a way I never would have if I was with friends. I also noticed how walking alone made my walking pace naturally slow down, also causing my thoughts to slow down. This peaceful and deeply reflective walk helped me find the beauty in being alone and reminded me how important it is to pause, breathe, and truly be present in the moment.
Figure 1. Sidewalk aligned with trees outside my apartment during a quiet solo walk. (Original photograph, Jacob Yeo)
B is for Bench
Prompt 2.05 – A Good Bench; Photograph and text; Tuesday, Oct 14
Today I walked from class to Mccomas. I could feel the drop of temperature and was planning to make my title for the entry “Breeze”, but I encountered a bench across the building and it made me think. How long has this bench been here? How many people have had conversations on this bench? This bench standing in front of me has probably been through years of different people encountering it. I think it’s pretty cool how this simple bench holds years of memories and conversation I will never know.
Figure 2. Wooden bench near McComas Hall where I paused during my walk. (Original photograph, Jacob Yeo)
C is for Clouds
Prompt 2.03 – Overhead at Time of Day; Photograph and text; Wednesday, Oct 15
As I walked across campus today, the sky caught my attention. The clouds moved so slowly like they weren’t in a rush to get anywhere. I watched these clouds slowly drift across the sky, stretching and changing shape over time. All the clouds in the sky were a perfect white color, looking like the perfect, textbook, cloud that you would see in the movies. I know it’s kind of dumb to get fascinated by these ordinary clouds, but its simplicity and ordinariness captivated me. The sky didn’t have any darkness.
Figure 3. Bright white clouds drifting across the afternoon sky above the Drillfield. (Original photograph, Jacob Yeo)
G is for Golf
Prompt 2.20 – Blacksburg Municipal Golf Course; Photograph and text; Thursday, Oct 30
Today I went golfing with my friend and decided to walk instead of taking the cart. This alternative was a lot cheaper and calm. The ground was very soft from the rain, and each step on the grass made a mushing noise. I started playing golf because of my dad. My dad uses golf as an escape from all his stresses, and he regularly goes to the golfing range after work. He taught me to have a good balance between fun hobbies and responsibilities. I recently picked up golf last summer because my dad would always go after work, and I wanted to see what all the hype behind it was about. He taught me how to swing and stay patient throughout each mistake and poor swing. I am trying to get good at golf in my own time, not because I find it fun, but because I can then bond with my dad over the sport and maybe in the future as we golf he can talk to me about his stresses and I can be there for him.
Figure 10: Walking across the course on a cool, fall day with a friend. (Original photograph, Jacob Yeo, Thursday, October 30)
I is for IM Rec Fields
Prompt 2.08 – Sporting Event; Photograph and text; Thursday, Oct 16
Today I walked to the rec fields for my intramural flag football game. During the walk, I was worried with different thoughts bombarding my head about what could go wrong and what mistakes I could make. I felt pressure from my peers to do well and not let them down. On the walk uphill beside the bubble, I felt a chilly breeze and shivers ran down my spine. I know it’s just an intramural game, but I was scared of letting my team down. It felt like all twenty members of the team were depending on my performance. As I got closer to the field, I finally walked past the bubble and it stopped blocking my view. I still hadn’t noticed the sky yet, but as I turned right and entered the gates, I was instantly stunned by its beauty. The sky had hues of orange, red, pink, gray, and blue. Seeing this great sunrise made me realize this game isn’t worth stressing over. Many people under this same sky are struggling with far greater things.
Figure 4. Entrance of the rec fields during my walk to the intramural game. (Original photograph, Jacob Yeo)
M is for Moon (90 words)
Prompt 2.03 – Overhead at Time of Night; Photograph and text; Friday, Oct 17
Tonight, I went on a calm stroll outside my apartment and noticed how bright the moon was. The streetlights seemed dull and warm compared to the white shine radiating from the moon. The air was brisk and I could hear crickets between each step I took. I usually only acknowledge the moon when it is an orange color, but it felt that today the moon demanded attention. I wonder if anyone else noticed how bright the moon was today, maybe I wasn’t alone in this walk after all.
Figure 5. The bright moon shines over the quiet street near my apartment at night. (Original photograph, Jacob Yeo)
N is for Night (90 words)
Prompt 2.03 – Overhead at Night; Photograph and text; Friday, Oct 28
Tonight as I take a brisk walk outside, I notice how the clear sky is filled with countless stars, more than I have noticed in a very long time. Is this because I never give the sky recognition, or is it because the stars aren’t usually this prominent? I will never know. Each light seemed to shine on its own schedule; steady and unpredictable. This made me think how the stars are always up there, not everything demands attention, sometimes you just have to take it slow and look up.
Figure 9: A clear night sky filled with countless stars. (Original photograph, Jacob Yeo, Tuesday, October 28)
P is for Path (90 words)
Prompt 2.17 – Desire Paths; Photograph and text; Thursday, Oct 22
Today I decided to take a different path to my apartment from the bus stop. It wasn’t much longer, but it definitely felt a lot quieter, and more open. The path stretched straight ahead, surrounded by fallen leaves and patches of sunlight breaking through the trees. Each step sounded delicate and soft; the quiet got me thinking about every little detail regarding the path. This path has always been here, but I never fully thought about the flaws of the path; the cracks on the pavement and the uneven edges.
Figure 6: An alternative path with fall leaves beside it. (Original photograph, Jacob Yeo, Thursday, October 22)
S is for Sunrise (90 words)
Prompt 2.03 – Overhead at Time of Day; Video and text; Sunday, Oct 19
This morning I woke up earlier than usual and decided to take a walk before my first class. The air was cold and still, accompanied by cold breezes every now and then.I walked through the trees and saw a light slowly breaking through the clouds with a little bit of gold following. This image was very beautiful and I felt a sense of hope and warmth from the sunrise. Lately I catch myself stressing out a lot whether that be from relationships or studies, that light gave me clarity.
The morning light slowly unfolds through the clouds, a quiet moment that reminded me to slow down and breathe. (Original video, Jacob Yeo, October 19.)
W is for Winter (90 words)
Prompt 2.18 – A Wish for Something to be Different; Photograph and text; Monday, Oct 30
As I walked alongside the road, I saw a thin tree standing apart from others. The tree looked naked; stripped of all leaves and bare. The tree looked fragile, but very firm at the same time. The tree made me realize how soon winter is coming. I always saw leaves changing colors and scattered on the floor, but I think this is the first time I have seen a bare tree like this. This image got me to realize how fast time moves, and how we are approaching the winter.
Figure 9: A lone, naked tree (Original photograph, Jacob Yeo, Thursday, October 30)