June: Explore

I am a firm believer that most of the time it is the small things that make the biggest difference. 

Local cherries. Fresh blueberries. A kick-ass gluten free bagel from a local baker that makes me smile every time I see her. Organic micro-greens (they're so small but packed with nutrition!). Hot coffee. The smell of library books and the promise of a good read. 

This past week I spent some time in Shenandoah National Park. I slept late. I hiked on the AT. I turned off my cell-phone. I took a nap in the afternoon. I ate campfire meals. 

It was glorious. 

I wasn't there for long, but long enough to reset and to get in a few good hikes, including Bearfence Trail, a hike that boasts a rock scramble with 360 degree views. True to its name, after we scrambled up huge boulders we encountered an earth-shattering view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We were towering above the tree-tops and I was reminded of our trip to Tikal, Guatemala where we scaled temples that were built thousands of years ago. 

Standing on top of those rocks I felt empowered. enlightened. eternal. And reminded of the power of exploration. 

Now, I cannot take credit for this realization on my own. I shared with David that I've felt unsure about this (29th) practice. I was so excited about my month of movement in March, but with April and May I've felt a little lost. I changed focus half-way through April. While I kept up my Morning Pages in May, I only wrote 500 words about a dozen times. But David helped me identify something I had already been doing in the first few days of June AND that I felt excited about practicing: exploration. 

Studies show that novelty experiences release endorphins and dopamine in your brain, causing the event to be both pleasurable and memorable (bonus point: studies on relationships reveal that experiencing new things together can contribute to relationship sustainability).  

So far this month I: have gone to a Nationals game in DC, drove down Skyline Drive, climbed on the rocks in Shenandoah National Park, visited a new town (Waynesboro), ate a picnic lunch during the workday, run a new route, and explored a new neighborhood near my house. June is about exploration - not big, crazy exploration (although I am certainly not ruling that out), but integrating exploration in small ways every day. 

It is so easy to have a list of somedays - and these lists are important as they represent our hopes, dreams, and desires - but we should not focus on them exclusively. Sometimes all it takes is 10 minutes of exploration a day to make our souls sing.