Osaka Garden: Too close to be true

Jackson Park's Osaka Japanese Garden

What do you think when you see this photo? My first time seeing this photo is from one of my friend's facebook photos, and I just cannot believe that the place is just a mile away from where I live everyday for two years near University of Chicago. Once I confirm the existence of the place, Osaka Garden, through google, it does not take too long for me to go there and see it by myself. 

Jackson Park's Osaka Japanese Garden

One big mistake for this trip is that I carried my huge bakpack with me to the garden since I just came from the library as usual. I got on the shuttle and was dropped off around 5-minute walk from the garden. 

I was stunted once I saw the actual garden. It looked exactly the same as I saw from several photos online. If you still not believe me that the place above is in fact in Hype Park, you can see the next photo below. You can easily see the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) in the picture. I just do not understand that why I took me almost two years to figure out this place which is really close to where I live. 

Jackson Park's Osaka Japanese Garden

After I finished walking around the garden, I would like to spend more time in the garden so I decided to sit down near a pond, but it was still too cold for me to just sit and chill there. I then started walk about Jackson Park for the first time. It was not as impressive as this place, but it still have many more interesting things than I expected. I spent time around there for about an hour before catching a shuttle back to the library and did more work as usual. And I will definitely visit this place again during the summer when the weather is warmer now.

One hour for walking around the garden and the park is such a good decision for me. It made me realize how we often time forget the look around you and start to dream for something else that are really far away. If we can just stop, look around. see what is around here and appreciate them more. Sometimes that best place that you want to go might be in front of your door step. 

What about you? What do you find are the most amazing thing near your house?

PS. I just found out from making this blog that we have "the Statue of the Republic" near by Jackson Park. I will definitely go see her this coming summer