As winter gives way to spring, I get to engage in one of my favorite pastimes - hiking.  I take my dog and away we go, exploring local trails and sometimes blazing new trails.  Yesterday, I chose to go to one of my favorite spots, The Beall Trail in the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge.  I parked and walked to the trail head where I ran into a lady from out of town - one of the many tourists who pass through our Valley each year.  I spoke and she was cordial.  I made a comment about enjoying the trail, and she answered, "well, there's nothing on the trail, so I'm leaving."  I immediately thought, how unfortunate, but as I hiked around the trail for the next 90 minutes, I had even more thoughts.  I guess this poor unfortunate soul totally missed the sun bouncing off the smooth bark on the trees and dancing on the ground pine.  Perhaps she didn't notice the perfect blonde of the leaves hanging on the young oak trees.  Left over from fall, they have been recently revealed as the snow melted away.  I suppose she stepped over the tiny white flowers fighting their way toward the sun through the mashed orchard grass, standing as tall as possible, proud though small.  Without the heavy green blanket of summer, it is possible to see all the beautiful ridges that surround the Valley.  Some people think early spring is not a pretty time because everything is the same color, but as a good friend of mine pointed out (thanks Audrey), there are actually so many colors that it's hard to register each one as you gaze across the fields and rivers of the Valley.  The blueberry bushes are just getting a red tint on the buds.  The trees look like they are pushing hard against the ends of their branches, just waiting for the right moment to burst out . . . . . and it will happen overnight!  As I neared the end of the trail, I saw a small copper colored garden snake trying to soak up the last rays of the day, holding onto as much heat as possible.  He didn't even care that I was touching him a bit....he was focused on the sun...much like me!  I, too, was soaking up as much of the warm sun as possible because I know that spring in the Valley has a few days like this one that are gems and many other days that remind us how Old Man Winter hangs on until the very last minute!

Just how mindful is mindfulness?

My Jawbone "gently awakening" alarm went off at 5:00 am. Thank goodness it was the "gently awakening" alarm.....so I jumped up to get ready for my day. I was so excited! Today is the day that Space Cowboy and I are embarking on a trip without the family in tow. First time in our whole relationship that we planned to take a trip without kids or multiple other family members!

Now don't get me wrong....I LOVE traveling with the various members of our extended family....kids, parents, in-laws, brothers, cousins, friends....I have a pretty freakin' awesome family. In fact, I'd rather hang out with them than anyone else, except for maybe Larry Bird or Magnum PI, but you get my drift. However, a few months ago, I realized I had an opportunity to actually travel for work and fun with my husband! I did what any "#almost super mom" would do...I manipulated the schedule to allow this trip to happen! So here was the plan....leave today for Las Vegas to attend a national conference that is important to my work. On Sunday, move to the Venetian in Las Vegas because, well, it's The Venetian. Next, spend three days playing in and around Las Vegas with Space Cowboy and two of our dear friends who are co-workers and part of that crazy wonderful extended family. On Sunday, we drive to Utah where I will have a couple days of work while Space Cowboy gets to indulge his love of skiing at a Brian Head Resort. We can even do some cross country skiing together! And the kicker.....Valentine's Day is Friday WHILE WE ARE AT A SKI RESORT IN UTAH. Yes...the perfect trip.

So back to my "gently awaken" alarm....I jumped up, got showered, began thinking about my packing job of last night and mentally taking things out of my bag to see if I can actually hit the magic 50 lb limit. And then the text came ...our flight is cancelled due to weather.

I went to tell Space Cowboy that he could stay under the warm covers...no early flight today. I suggested we begin driving, which he shot down - #funhater. Next, I started looking for alternative flights, determined that this trip is going to happen. Meanwhile, I know that my friend and co-worker is on the phone with an agent at United trying to get us rebooked. However, I went on with my furious search...."there has to be something I can do to fix this!" I searched all airports within a four hour drive from home. There were lots of flights...good news!...we weren't going to get one for less than 1000.00 a person...horrible news! I start mentally checking the bank account...can we swing this cost? NO...ugh. And then, as I was waiting for my coffee to brew (OMG it's taking forever!) it hit me....I need to do nothing. Nothing. I need to breathe and wait and allow the system to do its thing. My friend will call when she has news from the agent. In the mean time, I enjoyed my coffee, and actually brewed some tea, watched the weather and the news and had some breakfast. I practiced mindfulness and felt myself become calm. As I focused on my breakfast and the hot tea mug in my hand, my anxiety subsided. I am not in charge of the weather. I am not in charge of the airlines. I am not in charge of the conference.

I spend a great portion of each day teaching and encouraging mindfulness, and helping others realize and understand that wherever you are, whatever you are doing, you ARE living the journey. Too often, we believe and live as though life can't happen until some other condition becomes real, when the truth is that every moment is life. We can choose to live it or allow it to slip away while we wait......for some condition to change or some event to occur, which we believe will allow us to live. In the mean time, we are missing precious moments of our journey. Live every breath; be in it; enjoy it, even when it's stressful. We are always exactly where we should be.

And so, as I prepare for a changed travel agenda, I'm grateful for the opportunity to be with Space Cowboy in our kitchen that is still mid-renovation with a hot cup of tea and the anticipation of our adventure, whatever it turns out to be.


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Location:Flag Run