GO FOR A WALK Activity

This exercise was a little complicated for me. I normally drive or walk without noticing to much detail in my surroundings. I began this exercise thinking I never have walked around the block of my apartment. I have been 4 and a half years living in my apartment and never stopped to look at my surrounds and its details. Makes you think all the places I have been and only scratched the surface of the possible experiences and the details I have missed.

In the photo from above I planned the route for this exercise. The red was from when I started and the blue the return of the trip. For the activity, I started exiting my condominium from the back and going to the right, while walking I noticed a lot of people have moved in to the empty houses there where a short time ago. I noticed there was an empty parking lot with only two very old cars. I have seen these cars before but never stopped to think why there where there, and why they were left there. Also I’m very surprised they withstand the hurricane and they are still there.

I continued and took a left at the cars and walked on the road in front of the main entrance of my apartment. I noticed there was in Plaza Universidad a Mini Market, which I have never noticed. Continuing the walk I came across a Barbershop, which I knew they were there but never entered. In the side, there is a mural of the barbershop.

 Takin a left on the barbershop, that road was tight and never noticed how destroyed the old houses are. In one of the houses there was a mural with an old Volkswagen Van:

It was very strange but I stopped to think of the meaning and try to understand it and I would have never stopped to view it if it wasn’t for the exercise. The oldness and rustiness of the mural told me it has been a long time.  I continued the road and turn right at the end. I looked at the houses and there where people sitting outside and they smilled and waved. I skipped a road that come people where doing construction. Next to the road there was another one, so I took it, it was filled with cars in both side of the road. At the end was another mural painting that looked good.

I stopped and began to think who where they and how colorful it looked. I have passed this road over 4 years and didn’t notice this mural. Continuing my return, in the same road there was another painting.

Overall this exercise helped me better understand and know my surroundings and all its history and people. I was always  looking but not seeing all the details of my street block. I can now realize that like Alexandra Howowitz in her essay “Amateur Eyes”, I have been going trought the same places but missing most of its details that where in plain sight. I returned to my apartement felling more at home. I now know most of the details of my surroundings but even now I know I missed some things. We have to go trough life not just by looking at the different things the world has but seeing them.

Collage on my journal