Walking in the winter woods

It's been a hard few days, I won't shy away from saying that. Losing the Ireland trip has been hard. The recent cold weather has been hard. The unknowable future has been hard. So, I took a walk.

The woods was different than the last time I visited. Trees were down from a recent storm. The ground was frozen-- hard and crunching beneath my feet. It was quieter than usual, save for a hawk that alerted everything to my presence as I went bumbling around looking for cool rocks.

But I needed it. I needed the solitude and to reconnect with the rhythm of the forest, to remember that I was part of something larger than myself. It is one of the few things that stops my mind from racing because I can just--- be. And it gives me the strength to carry on.

In this increasingly hyper-connected world, we are oddly becoming more isolated. Communities are a thing of the past. Friendships dwindle down to likes. Anxiety fizzles like soda pop in our veins. But being in nature-- seeing the sun set and the stars awaken, letting wind and water tangle in your hair, walking between the smell of green moss and brown decay in a forest-- it can reset your spirit. It's like going home. And when you are home, your spirit can find rest.