Green Trees, Fall Colors Replenished my Mind

Happy New Year!

The start of 2021 looks very much like the end of 2020, but hope is in the air and more importantly I AM BACK!

I’ve been on a hiatus for the last six months. If you’ve forgotten about me, I forgive you. But you may be wondering where did I disappear of to? Did my favorite blogger gain stardom and outgrow this blog? Did she get lost in a black hole like in Stranger Things? Did she win the lottery and jet off to covid free island? How could she have forgotten about her hundreds (thousandths, if not millions) of readers?

Dear readers, I sincerely apologize for my six month surprise leave. I have not forgotten you.

I just needed a break. I derive inspiration for this blog from many sources – conversations I have with people, podcasts I listen to, my interests & hobbies, work, and my infinite wisdom. As the covid pandemic raged on (and continues to rage on) being homebound with little social interaction left me a little uninspired. Content topics were not as free flowing and felt forced. And the impact of the pandemic along with the impact of the California wildfires finally caught up to me. August ushered in a new mindset that needed me to slow down even more. So I took some time to rejuvenate and refresh my mind with new, positive ideas to share with all of you!

I have a lot of catching up to do with reflecting back on a transformative year to making goals for the new year to sharing my reading list. First, I want to start off with writing about my nature walks at the county park in NJ. This pandemic continues to wreak havoc on all our lives to some degree or another. Whether you’ve experienced a job loss or are isolated from older members of the family or had to curb travel plans or even simple activities like eating out and going to the gym, this pandemic has taken a physical and mental toll on all of us. It certainly has for me.

I visited my family in NJ in the fall of last year and luckily the weather was mild most days. I was working PST so pretty much had the mornings free. After being cooped up in our small apartment while the wildfires raged on and the air was thick with smoke & soot, it was a relief to be able to go outside and breathe in fresh air. Walk amongst trees. Smell the crisp fall air. And experience some solitude in the outdoors.

My parents live close to the county park with easy access to walking paths. After drinking my cup of tea and eating cookies, I laced up my sneakers, wore my favorite accessory, my scarf, grabbed my phone and took off for my morning walk. I either listened to music or my go to podcasts starting with NPR Up First or The Indicator or Skimm’d From The Couch.

Not only did these walks benefit me physically (hello covid pounds), they also has a positive effect mentally from reducing my stress & anxiety levels to increasing my energy. I started my workday with a positive mindset. On top of all these benefits, I gained some knowledge listening to my podcasts.

I also enjoyed the greenery and fall colors. After a hot, smoky, and brown summer in California it was relief to see trees and cooler weather. Living in a more urban area of the Bay Area, in the last couple years I’ve realized how much I miss green trees, fall colors and quietness. Working from home allowed me to go back home to the suburbs and enjoy this respite from all the concrete and brownness. Dr. Fauci and many others from the beginning have stressed the importance of taking walks or being outdoors during the pandemic and I couldn’t agree more.

Take a break from your screens, build the habit of a daily walk and don’t be afraid of being solo (be safe!). After all solitude breeds creativity. If you don’t care of yourself then you won’t be able to take care of others.

Now go for a walk!