Why I ended up at Serra Park today
Woke up feeling restless around 7AM. Stared at my coffee machine debating whether to fix another boring Saturday at home. Grabbed my worn-out sneakers on impulse – figured I’d just walk anywhere with trees.
Getting there was half the battle
Missed the first bus because I was tying my shoelaces too slow. Second bus dropped me off at some random intersection near the industrial zone. Saw a faded sign saying “Serra Park → 1.5 miles” pointing uphill. Said screw it and started hiking.
- Stumbled over cracked pavement for 20 minutes sweating like crazy
- Almost turned back when two stray dogs started barking at me
- Followed some teenagers carrying skateboards – figured they knew shortcuts
Took me damn near an hour to find the entrance. Place looked totally forgotten – gate was rusted shut so I squeezed through a hole in the fence.
What actually surprised me inside
Thought it’d be some sad patch of grass but wow. Giant oak trees formed this shady tunnel along the main path. Found weird metal sculptures covered in moss near an empty pond. Sat on this crumbling stone bench watching:
- Blue jays fighting over a chip bag
- Old dude doing tai chi with headphones on
- Little kid crying because his ice cream fell
Kicked around pine cones for a while. Realized I hadn’t checked my phone once since entering. That never happens.
The weird thing that went down
Heard rustling in bushes behind me. Some college kids were burying a time capsule – cheap plastic box full of beer cans and Polaroids. They asked me to sign their notebook “for future historians”. Drew a stupid dinosaur because why not.
Got talking with their leader – kid named Marco studying urban design. Turns out this park was almost demolished last year for condos. Locals protested with sit-ins right where we were standing. Marco’s group comes every month to document “how the park fights back”.
That’s when it hit me:
Accidental walks lead to the real stuff. Came for exercise but found community without even trying.
Dragging myself home
Sun started dipping behind the hills. Realized I never ate lunch – stomach was growling like a chainsaw. Trudged back to the bus stop with pine needles stuck to my socks. Forgot to take pictures but somehow glad I didn’t. Some places just live in your bones.
Showered and ordered greasy pizza. Still finding park dirt under my fingernails while typing this. Worth every blister.
