I’ve felt very fragile since we dropped our son off at college. I’ve had trouble sleeping, and I feel jittery and strung out. Work has been hectic, which has been hard. My team lead encouraged me to be gentle with myself in the coming weeks because she knew this would be an emotional time for … Continue reading Gentle
We tried several excursions in Iceland that didn’t quite work out: a hike we couldn’t get across a river for, puffin watching that was obscured by fog, wind, and rain, another hike that was only accessible by a road that turned from paved, to gravel, to rutted gravel, to grass, to grass and mud, to … Continue reading Every step a wonder
We drove along redbud-lined roads under a brilliant blue sky to hike not to the top of a mountain, but lower down, in a valley, where we hoped it’d be green and protected from wind. In spots where the sun shone on the trail, the air smelled like warm, golden pine needles. I heard bumblebees … Continue reading Spring wildflower hike
Today’s the last day of my at-home vacation. Since it’s too cold to sit outside and watch the garden grow, I opted to use my final day off to go hiking with my husband. When he asked this morning, from under the covers, before the sun came up, “Do you still want to go?”, I … Continue reading Mountain top in cold and wind
When we first moved to Blacksburg, Virginia, nearly 10 years ago, I read (and blogged about) a local newspaper article about how to build durable happiness. The article said that to sustain happiness, we should appreciate and savor, and continue to appreciate and savor, the good things we have in our lives. I want to … Continue reading I can’t believe I get to live here
My husband and I talked this morning about how we’re numb from the routine of life, day in and day out, every day the same since the pandemic began: same meals, same surroundings, same walk around the neighborhood. Today we decided to break routine and go for a hike at the Cascades, a waterfall nearby … Continue reading Wildflower hike at Cascades waterfall
Butterfly Mind 