The Arboretum has been a constant for me throughout the different seasons and changes it goes through and was a sanctuary to me during the first year of the pandemic. I remember showing up to class without checking my email announcing class was optional due to concerns over COVID-19 and being confused at the primarily empty class during finals week. Since I was already on campus that day I went to the arboretum so I could simply sit, be still, as well as enjoy the lush greenness and ducks. Every time I visit I enjoy being at the arboretum as if it were my first time and it always feels so peaceful and serene. In the fall of 2021, I found a card with a handwritten encouraging message for anyone who found themselves sitting on that bench in the arboretum and it completely validated the warm aura I always receive from the arboretum and those who frequent it.