Topic: walking outside
Thesis: walking outside is a good way to get to know a new place.

I. Intro
II. See the local plants
III. Meet the local people
IV. Conclusion

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A

I had a week off of work due to the Christmas and New Year holidays, so there was an opportunity to go explore someplace farther away. I decided to go 3 hours South to a town called Truth or Consequences. I walked around to get to know the town.

As I walked, I was interested in the local plants I saw. Since Truth or Consequences is further South and has a slightly warmer climate, there were many new plants that I don’t find at home. One of those plants is the mesquite tree.

I want to someday have a farm, and I want to plant mesquite on the farm because it is such a useful tree. The seed pods are 30% sugar and are ground up to make coffee and flour for bread. Birds and other wildlife are attracted to mesquite trees for food and habitat. I like it because it is doesn’t need a lot of watering and also it helps other plants grow by adding Nitrogen to the soil. I collected lots of seeds to grow and plant on my future farm. Someday I plan to grow mesquite, prickly pear cactus, jujube and desert wild flowers. With the seeds and fruit I will make energy bars.

Q. Someday I plan to _.

B

I also got to meet some local people while walking around. I walked into a thrift store and talked to the shop keeper for a while. I also talked to an old man walking his dog. The people in small towns are friendly and open.

The old man walking his dog saw me collecting mesquite seeds and said hi. We had a conversation about mesquite and I explained why I was collecting the seeds. He told me that the mesquite growing in front of his house are very big and of a thornless variety, and that I was welcome to go collect those. I did end up going to his house and getting seeds. He offered me a coffee and we sat and talked. He had a lot of things to say about the local politics in his town. I noticed that he lived alone with only his dog. He talked a lot, and maybe was lonely.

Q. Do you like the place where you are?

There are various ways to get to know a new place, but walking is one of the best ways. By walking, you get to see what plants grow there and also talk to locals you meet. I feel like I experienced a day in the life of that town.