Is it the scenery? Is it the creek? Is it taking a walk and seeing a mama deer and her baby peacefully foraging nearby? Is it watching a dung beetle for the first time as he rolls his little ball of… let’s just call it “dirt”... across my pathway? Is it sitting quietly and just listening—I mean, really listening—to the trees blowing in the wind?
Truth be told, it’s probably all of those things.
I was brought up in the city, so as an adult, I’m still amazed when I get to experience nature the way I do here. Out here, it isn't something I'm watching on television. It is right there in front of me in living, breathing color. I can see it, smell it, hear it, and watch it happen. Sometimes I see something and think, “What in the world? That's so cool!” That is one of the reasons I keep coming back to the Cibolo.
It always seems like there’s something new at the Cibolo, even though I may walk the same trails again and again. Every visit can be different. The weather changes. The creek changes. The animals change. The trees and plants change. Even the way I feel when I arrive can change.
That must be part of why I love watching the seasons change at the Cibolo. I love taking a walk and watching the leaves go from green to yellow, then red and burgundy. Before long, they fall to the ground, and the cycle begins all over again. There is something beautiful about knowing that nature is always changing, yet it keeps going. That keeps me coming back too.
I also love collecting small pieces of nature to remember my time there. Sometimes I walk around with my snips and carefully cut a leaf or a flower to press. Weeks later—or even after a year!—I can open the box where I keep my precious pressed flowers and leaves. I can still see their color and sometimes even smell a little bit of what I remember. But more than that, they bring me back to the day I found them. I remember the weather, the walk, and how I felt. A simple flower can hold such a big memory.
Nature is beautiful, but it can also be a little scary. I don't like snakes now, and I probably never will. But when I’m out here, I understand that they have an important purpose. Every creature has a role—the big ones, small ones, beautiful ones, and even the ones that give me the shivers and make me want to turn around and walk the other way. The Cibolo has taught me to appreciate things I may not understand or want to get too close to. And that will always draw me back.
The Cibolo is also a place of healing for me. I can have a really bad day, but then I take a walk. I stop. I smell the air. I listen to the birds. I watch the creek. Little by little, the day starts to wash away. Nature doesn't ask me to explain my mood. It simply gives me a place to breathe, feel, and be. No matter what kind of day I'm having, I know I can come here, take a walk, and experience something real and beautiful.
So, why do I keep coming back to the Cibolo? I come back for the scenery, the creek, the deer, the trees, the flowers, and yes, even the dung beetles. I come back because there is always something new or different to discover. But most of all, I come back because the Cibolo makes me feel connected—to nature, to memories, and to myself.
The Cibolo is more than just a beautiful space. It is my happy place. That’s why I keep coming back.
cibolo.org | 830-249-4616 | 140 City Park Rd.