Field Journal
Date: April 11, 2017
Date of the Week: Tuesday
Location: Corporate Building in Livingston, NJ
Time: 12:00
Observers: Samara Jones
Habitat: Rest area with benches and tables with umbrellas. Green grass surrounds a small lake that has a fountain pouring out water continuously. Woods surround the right side of the rest area.
Weather: 72 degrees, sunny and warm
Remarks: I see the ducks walking around and flying in and out the lake. It's peaceful outside. Barely can hear any cars on the road, or any other outside noise besides the fountain in the lake.
Comments: I learned that taking time to come outside during my workday helps me to be more relaxed and allows me to collect my thoughts. It motivated me to go back to work and tackle any task that I have yet to meet.
Personal Account: April 17th, 2017: It felt relaxing to sit and take a break from my job for a moment and not think about clients, or numbers, or deadlines that needed to be met. I basically took 20 minutes not to think about much, but just observe what was around me. I've walked past the area that I was sitting many times since my company has been in this building. I have never really took the time to sit and enjoy my the rest area until that day. Being outside made me dread going back to the stuffy office that was waiting for me. The fresh air made me feel relaxed. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was outside with the trees and water. It almost felt like I was sitting in a picture. Somehow being outside made me feel more rejuvenated, because when I came back into work I had a spark of energy that I didn't have before. That very moment I made it up in my mind to make sure that I take time out from my busy day to go appreciate what is right outside my window.
Date: April 14, 2017
Day of the Week: Friday
Location: Backyard of House in Piscataway, NJ
Time: 18:15
Observers: Only Me
Habitat: Back yard full of grass and in the middle stands one big tree. Underneath the tree are flat rocks that form to make a sitting stool.
Weather: It is 62 degrees and windy.
Remarks: The sun is fighting to stay, but it will soon set. The trees are swaying, because of the wind.
Comments: As I sat in the quietness, I felt a sense of gratefulness to be alive. I felt motivated to travel the world and spend more time with my family.
Personal Account: April 17th, 2017: What I came to realize while sitting out in nature, is beauty is all around us. Taking a moment to truly view my surroundings made me want to see more of the world and find beauty in other places. Sitting outside I meditated and just soaked in the atmosphere around me. I was grateful to be able to see the trees and feel the grass. There are people who aren't able to see what I see almost everyday. It made me feel grateful to have my sight and sense of touch. I listened to the birds chirpping in and out of the quietness that surrounded me. Those moments of sitting in nature gave me a feeling of peace. Some days are so hectic, that I don't allow my body to rest until I go to bed. Sitting outside gave my body a moment of rest as well as my mind. For 20 minutes I just paid attention to what was in my eye view. I got to see how the world moves and hear how the world sounds. I also see how humanity has stricken the earth of its natural beauty by cutting down trees and polluting the air. We as human beings have not been taking care of mother earth the way we should and should be ashamed. There is so much beauty in the world we live in. I hope that the world only gets better and that we all learn to appreciate it more.
