Trees, in a way, bring me a sense of adventure and peace. They remind me of when I was young and would scamper up any climbable tree I laid eyes on. A single glance out my bedroom window reminds me that the place where I live isn’t an urban complex of asphalt and concrete walls.

Evergreen pines gently sway in the breeze, their leaves bright from the summer sun. The sycamore trees are losing their summer green foliage, slowly being replaced with brown cracked leaves. In Newbury Park, it’s a brisk, beautiful day.

Though it might not always be this perfect here, there are so many aspects that can make anyone you talk to grateful to live here. The trees and mountains line the view of the city as you drive past it on the freeway. With a quick 20 minute drive you’ll be right at the beach. Five minutes in the opposite direction will take you to the Thousand Oaks Mall, complete with restaurants and a movie theatre, while an hour further down that freeway will lead you into the heart of Los Angeles. Trees curve above the roads that lead you away from  In a way, you’re far enough from everything to not get tired of it, but close enough to wear a visit is not unheard of.

But as you turn from the freeway and look towards the mountains, the trees start to dwindle and shrink until they become flowered weeds and shrubbery. Green, nourished parks dot the land until the slope begins to steepen. From there the mountains rise up and peak in the blue of the sky, with dirt hiking trails winding up its flank. The trees return to their tall, bushy glory as it slopes back to flat on the other side, where oak trees flourish in a place called Hidden Valley.

As the leaves of those evergreens outside my bedroom rustle in the wind, I find peace in knowing that simple sight has not let me forget the natural beauty that even a settled city like Newbury Park thrives with.