The temperature was north of 50 degrees yesterday, and though it felt a little wet and chilly, I thought I’d take advantage to go run outside. I normally just run right by my house but I don’t really like the nearby running option — we’re on a big hill, and then by a busy road that I have to be on for about a quarter mile in order to get anywhere.
So yesterday I got in my car and drove 5 minutes to a little nature preserve. There are trails there that extend in a few directions through a green belt.
It was quite muddy so I went very slowly stepping around those patches, but it was definitely a more adventurous run than being on the treadmill. I crossed several creeks on rocks and saw a tiny waterfall. Because I had to pay attention to the rocks/roots/mud the whole thing felt very meditative — it was hard to think of much else but the trail.
Anyway, it was all quick — there, run, and back in an hour — but I enjoyed seeing the late winter woods with a fine mist around a few plants as the first buds emerge.
I write a lot about planning little adventures into life (it’s one of the Tranquility by Tuesday rules). Sometimes it can be hard to think about what a little adventure could be, but running in a different place can count. It wasn’t much more time than the treadmill, but felt very different.
In other news…over at Vanderhacks (my Substack newsletter) this week I wrote about how “The easy way might be the right way.” There’s no point complicating things unnecessarily! I wrote that “Planning twice is twice as nice” when it comes to weekends. Behind the paywall, I talked about “How to motivate yourself (when you’re not feeling very motivated).” Please consider a free or paid subscription.
In the Before Breakfast podcast, I suggested that people “Think about what you’d take” — what would you want to bring with you in an emergency? This has reminded me to take pictures of things that there aren’t digital copies of (like old photos). I suggested asking “What’s on the horizon?” and thinking through the arc of a month. March is going to feature a lot around here! And for the interview, I talked with Deirdre Fitzpatrick, who is a morning anchor with KCRA in Sacramento. Given how early she has to wake up, she has morning routines down to a science. Please give those episodes a listen!
The Best of Both Worlds Patreon community has several discussions going on career breaks, nail clipping, milestone birthdays, and conferences.
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