Squirrels Are Our Friends

Hessel Park in Champaign is in between a neighborhood and busy Kirby avenue. One side of it feels no different from being on the sidewalk on the side of any other street, while the other side has a cozy, friendly neighborhood feel. This diversity makes the park good for many things from studying, to playing a game (soccer, frisbee), to eating ice cream on a hot summer day.

I’ve found that Hessel Park is a very good place to write. It has the perfect balance of white noise, but not distracting conversations, and this balance can be altered based on where you are. Being outside under a light canopy of old trees brings a feeling of relaxation as well as joy, which are perfect conditions for spilling my thoughts onto an empty word document. In addition to writing, just being in this public, but still somewhat secluded space is good for getting work done. I feel more motivated to stay off my phone because people can see me (weird logic, but that’s how my mind works), but I’m not stressed about school because of the nice forest-like environment. If I am working and want to take a break it is easy to take a good, relieving, but not unproductively long break. By just sitting and people watching for 5 minutes I allow my mind to rest while still doing something I enjoy.

As an introvert, I enjoy the small bit of privacy that the space between picnic tables offers. This environment is good for me as being outside has always been somewhat of a getaway for me, something that calms me down. Sometimes I go to Hessel park not necessarily because I have something to do there, but because I know I can just be and not have the stresses of the world on my shoulders for an hour. I recommend going to Hessel (or any other) park if you feel overwhelmed or worried about anything. To spend some time in fresh air, without people pestering you about various things can actually be more relaxing than spending the night with your friends. Squirrels are actually quite friendly, and if you are lacking in the friend department, they can do quite nicely as a replacement of your nonexistent buddies.

On the other half of the boredom scale, a park like Hessel can also help. If you spend the entire summer in your house with nothing to do, I recommend setting up a time to get together with some of your friends and go play a game at a park. It is a really fun time and takes a few hours out of a boring day. Overall, whatever your need may be, a park like Hessel can be helpful and I highly recommend taking advantage of our community’s great resources.