taking it in

Patrick taking in the smell of the mountains. He got to run through meadows, roll around in the tall grass, trample through streams, see lots of fish, and explore everything. I've never seen him so happy.

We're back from our camping trip. Intentional or not, you have a lot of time to relax and unwind when you're out in the wilderness with not much to do. As far as reflecting goes, I wasn't very intentional when prepping for this trip. I normally bring a journal or a thought provoking book and anticipate the time I'll have for silence and meditation. This time, I packed a half read book (one that was not thought provoking whatsoever) and totally forgot to pack my journal. I didn't realize until I got home that I actually did a lot of reflecting anyway. When I'm in my normal setting/ routine, my mind is always racing with to do lists and unfinished projects. The night that we got home, I had a clear mind, was extremely motivated, and felt well rested. I had our suitcases unpacked within 10 minutes of walking in the door, started the laundry, and still enjoyed a good night's sleep. I'm grateful for the time we got to spend up in the mountains and am looking forward to this pattern of getting things done in a less chaotic sort of way. Sometimes we just need to spend more time outdoors and away from the everyday mayhem that is life.