By Ayana Herndon The sun reflected off of our faces like a natural filter highlighting our melanin skin. As the car sped up, we couldn’t contain our excitement as our feet dangled off the wagon and we breathed in the clean crisp air. What we saw was incredible. The stretch of trees running for miles and the symphony of orange, yellow, and brown that looked as though it was painted. As we soaked in the fall day, I thought to myself, ‘this is living.’ I went apple picking at Beak and Skiff Apple Orchards this semester, and it was one of the most relaxing experiences of my life. When I think of self care, usually it involves a face mask and some nice music. But when the stresses of a ten-page paper kicks in, or having three tests in one day, those tactics don’t quite do it for me anymore. On a larger scale within the Black community, I believe that when and if we are talking about self care, the idea of being in nature rarely crosses our minds. But after my experience apple picking, that opinion changed. I’m a city girl, Bronx born and raised. I never even had a backyard and especially didn’t have a knack for picking apples. But then the spontaneous idea arose, and my friend and I took a 15-minute trip to go pick some apples. I don’t know why, or how, but when I was around that fresh air, open space, and wholesome fruit, my mood changed. Instead of relying on alcohol and Summer Walker to calm me down, all of a sudden I had the ability to sit with my stresses and sort them out in an open space. Maybe it was the direct sunlight that instantly lightened my mood, or maybe it was the fresh apples that weren’t from a supermarket or infused with loads of pesticides. Nevertheless, with a bakery, a cider store, and a restaurant/brewery, Beak and Skiff changed my whole mood in one afternoon. So even if it’s sitting outside to soak in the sun before your next class, or playing outside with your friends instead of cyphing in the crib, being around nature can be a really great way to improve your mental health. I encourage everyone should try it.
Renegade Magazine Fall '19 Issue.indd 34
12/11/19 3:20 PM
