A warm sun meeting a cold March breeze was my greeting this morning as I left the house for the beginning of the work week. As I tightened the zipper of my jacket, I couldn’t help to long for a morning on the trails. The thought of calling in healthy was being flirted with as I walked those last few steps to my car. Point the car west to head to the office, or north to any number of trails? I do keep a pair of hiking boots in the back, and have a bottle of water with me already.
I opted to do the responsible thing, and began my journey towards the office. As I was driving, I reflected on the ups and downs of this past weekend. Saturday was a day of feeling like I don’t belong to this world, which I finally cured that evening in a home yoga session. Sunday felt energetic and scattered, despite starting the day off with a yoga class and a relaxing talk over a cup of coffee nearby. Leafing back through the pages of the past, I found these strange emotional ebbs and flows are consistent with the coming of spring.
Could this be the result of unrealized cabin fever on my part, awakened by the coming of spring? I try to get out a few times during the winter, but maybe this isn’t enough. During a recent warm snap, I was able to escape for a few hours to the Butler Lake recreational area, which is in the Northern Kettle Moraine Forest in Wisconsin. Although I became disoriented (which was because of the breaking of my rule to have a copy of the trail map with me), I had a blast and felt invigorated for days after this hike. Being out in nature, watching first hand as the forest was waking up, was exactly what my mind and soul needed.
This revelation will require some changes on my part for next winter. Instead of dreaming of getting out into nature, I need to just go out and do something during each of the four seasons. There is a different feel to the surroundings during each season; the patterns, wildlife, and smells change with the calendar and need to be experienced in the purest way possible. Only then will the soul be complete.
I opted to do the responsible thing, and began my journey towards the office. As I was driving, I reflected on the ups and downs of this past weekend. Saturday was a day of feeling like I don’t belong to this world, which I finally cured that evening in a home yoga session. Sunday felt energetic and scattered, despite starting the day off with a yoga class and a relaxing talk over a cup of coffee nearby. Leafing back through the pages of the past, I found these strange emotional ebbs and flows are consistent with the coming of spring.
Could this be the result of unrealized cabin fever on my part, awakened by the coming of spring? I try to get out a few times during the winter, but maybe this isn’t enough. During a recent warm snap, I was able to escape for a few hours to the Butler Lake recreational area, which is in the Northern Kettle Moraine Forest in Wisconsin. Although I became disoriented (which was because of the breaking of my rule to have a copy of the trail map with me), I had a blast and felt invigorated for days after this hike. Being out in nature, watching first hand as the forest was waking up, was exactly what my mind and soul needed.
This revelation will require some changes on my part for next winter. Instead of dreaming of getting out into nature, I need to just go out and do something during each of the four seasons. There is a different feel to the surroundings during each season; the patterns, wildlife, and smells change with the calendar and need to be experienced in the purest way possible. Only then will the soul be complete.
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