As I walked through the woods, my first goal was to take pictures of things I found intriguing or beautiful. I wanted to capture a spot, a phenomena that spoke to me, one that I would remember. Most of the woods besides the Wooly Alder Aphids were much like what I’ve seen in parks near my home. The same trees, the same paths and foliage, even the same carvings in the towering birches. Although after a while, I stumbled upon a spot that struck me with some significance; the woods seemed deep at this point and seemed to go on forever. Right at the turn of the boardwalk, maybe 30 feet away from a large patch of jewelweed and two benches, the trees seemed to continue on forever. I had seen places like this in other parks, but this seemed like a special place for this park. Through the trees, no opening could be seen, no end of the tree line, no sunny break in the canopies, no patches of tall plants. Apart from the sounds of the roads that could be heard, the woods seemed to continue on forever in that direction. As I sat to begin writing, I noticed chipmunks peek out from under the boardwalk; the sight of me startled them however, and they quickly darted back under to safety. I lowered myself quietly to avoid spooking them, and took out my paper. I took notes on the surroundings, trying my best to find what element inspired my awe. I scribbled about the hickory nuts, poison ivy and ferns scattered across the forest floor. I watched the chipmunks chase each other, flashing through the leaves, but becoming invisible when they stopped. The woods behind me seemed to shed more light down, but before me, the canopy was thicker, darker and more ominous. After a few minutes I decided to move on. I’m not sure if I’m quite able to describe the vibe given off by that spot, maybe it was one of the many spots you have to visit for yourself to understand. I continued walking the path, but nothing I saw quite took that place out of my mind.
I enjoyed how the message and imagery provided in your passage did not seem forced upon the reader. The way you wrote about your experience was very down to earth. Not choosing a word or phrase to describe the way you felt to me was effective in explaining the instance. Providing a photo of the spot was effectively paired with your writing. I subconsciously would peek down at the picture while reading and that secured the sense of place in my mind throughout reading it. I think you could make this passage even better by choosing a different word than “vibe” to depict the certain sensation that the spot gave you. I would try to use more sensory language as you did earlier in the passage.