As midterms approach and pass, many students are left feeling drained and overwhelmed. In such a busy time, many have to focus a lot of energy on fulfilling the obligations that come with being a good student, a good friend, a good athlete, a good partner, a good sibling, a good team member, etc. I think it’s easy for us to forget that life wasn’t always this way. Not to be the “we live on a floating rock” guy, but we really are just talking animals. The collective mental health crisis we are experiencing at this moment in history is not so surprising when you consider that the neurological processes designed to help us survive bear attacks are instead being hijacked by “assignment graded” notifications.
While there may not be a lot you can do on an individual basis to attack the root of the problem, there are ways to cope. I think that one of the easiest ways to do this is to spend some time outside. As someone with a limited amount of free time, I feel super fortunate to live in a place like Florence with so many beautiful places so close by. I didn’t know about some of these places until late into my sophomore year, so I’d like to share them with anyone who is looking for an easy way to take a step back.
The first park I want to mention is McFarland Park. McFarland Park is located right on the Tennessee River underneath O’Neal Bridge. This spot features a playground, several benches and porch swings, and picnic tables. The parking lot has a gorgeous view of the river, bluffs, and boats as they pass by. My friends and I personally like to bring our lunch or dinner here and sit in the car or at a table for a few minutes in between classes or obligations. It can also be a nice place to do some reading or writing in an environment outside of your typical studyspace.
My personal favorite place in Florence is Wildwood Park. Located less than five minutes from campus down Circular Road, Wildwood Park sits on Cypress Creek. The park has a few picnic tables near the entrance, a walking/biking trail, and a kayak ramp. My favorite part is the walking trail because of its fairytale-esque treeline which tunnels the path with shade. There’s several spots right off the trail where you can access the creek to fish, swim, lay out, or skip rocks. The entire area is very wooded so it’s a great option if McFarland Park is too sunny or open for you. Its proximity to campus also makes it a great place to spend an extra hour or so between classes.
The last place I want to mention in this (by no means extensive) list is Spring Park in Tuscumbia. Although this is a bit more of a drive, it’s still within a twenty minute reach. Within the park is a carousel, a playground, and a duck-feeding machine. The park is also home to Coldwater Falls, which according to natcheztracetravel.com is the largest man-made natural stone waterfall in the world. There’s plenty of shaded benches to sit and watch the ducks swim around. It’s a very quiet and sweet place to spend a Saturday morning.
Whether you’re trying to recover from a bad grade, a failed situationship, or any other earth-shattering life crisis, sometimes what you may really need is to step away from the source of the stress and put into perspective how little these things matter in the grand scheme of your life. And the Shoals is a uniquely beautiful place to do it.
