As my first spring living in Los Angeles, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Some typical April showers and maybe some May flowers, but nothing could have prepared me for the beautiful burst of nature that has happened the past couple of weeks.
It seems like almost overnight, these gorgeous and vibrant purple flowers have exploded out of the trees lining the streets of West Hollywood near my apartment. According to my neighbor, these trees are called ‘Jacarandas’ and their blooming signals springtime in places all around the world. Australia, South Africa, Mexico, Portugal and Zimbabwe all get the welcome view of the Jacarandas in the spring.
My all-time favorite color is purple so I felt like it was Mother Nature’s way of telling me: ‘Welcome to springtime in LA, darlin’! You’re gonna love it. And love it, I do! The tree leaves have gotten greener, the temperature hovers at around 75 degrees most days and the skies are blue, blue, blue without a cloud in sight. With all these beautiful changes, my happiness has sky-rocketed! That comes as no surprise to me, considering a recent study by the American Chemical Society has proven that exposure to nature can directly improve your mental health & happiness.
While I think the blue cloudless skies and moderate temperatures are pretty great, it’s all about perspective. Everyone’s home base has something beautiful to offer in nature. I remember loving the melodic sound of the chirping cicadas outside during summer nights back in Texas and the fresh smell of pine trees that overtook Colorado as the last bits of snow melted away. You can find joyful nature quirks anywhere, you just have to open your eyes a bit!
Every season and every place has got something great to offer in nature. What’s your favorite nature perk of your hometown?
Read more about the correlation between happiness & nature here: http://www.naturalnews.com/043518_happiness_nature_mental_health.html