No school today, I needed some time in the trees, so I drove up to Horseshoe Bend. This is always a great option for a quick escape into the woods - it's only 40 minutes from Bellingham, just past Glacier.
I was trying hard to work on slowing down and being present today. So often I plow up and down the trails, focused on setting a good pace or making it to a summit or turnaround point. Today, I purposefully went slow, stopping to notice small things along the trail - a fern, a mushroom, the sound of the river, the sunlight on a moss-covered tree.
I turned around at the 1.5 mile mark. On the way back, I sat on a bench near the river for awhile, reading a book and drinking some hot cocoa. Eventually it was time to go, so I headed back to the car. I felt a little bad for only going 3 miles, but it really was worth it. I still felt renewed and connected throughout the morning.
Sorry this report isn't filled with many helpful details - maybe just an encouragement for all of us to slow down and be present when we are in the woods.
Grateful to be up in the mountains today, and to have a day off from my fifth graders :)
Comments