being outside

 

 

 

I am trying to be outside as much as possible.  It's so easy for me to fall into a routine of staying home and "getting things done".  The kids need to be outside and I do too.

Last week I started feeling dizzy and my heart was racing.  It was a terrible feeling but I told myself that it would pass.  By the weekend I felt so weak and drained that I decided to call the doctor on Monday.  After some tests the doctor found that my thyroid medicine was too much for me (which is what I suspected) and we lowered my dose.  I felt better.  Things are well.

But it was pretty stressful and on this beautiful walk in the desert over that weekend, it was all I could do to take step after step up that mountain.  It was so enormous up there.  We were on the top of the world and all I could do was cry.  I don't like it when I get this way but it happens sometimes.  What really brought me out of it was being up there.  Just being outdoors away from town, away from technology and my laundry pile.

I've realized that I just need my dose of nature every week, every day.  Being in my garden isn't good enough.

We went up to the lake last week, just the kids and I.  We brought our snacks and just a few other things and set ourselves down on the beach.  The water is really high this year because of the amount of snow we got.   It's so insanely gorgeous up there.  But, I'm a little biased.

It took me a while to really relax.  Isn't it true?  We don't realize how stressed we can get until we get to somewhere in nature.  Then we can start to breathe again.  I remember that moment I started breathing again.  Amelia and I were in the water hugging each other, smiling and talking.  I looked out into the sparkly, afternoon water and just felt a gazillion times better.  It was a good day.  Now, I'm headed off for a hike somewhere.  I don't know where just yet but I'll figure it out when I hop in the car.

Peace!