It's that time of year when things grow quiet in the Pacific Northwest...
In nature, life is moving toward hibernation. The trees are shedding, their brown and yellow leaves covering the ground. Huddling up for winter. The smell of plants decaying. Mushrooms and fungi sprouting up amongst the mossy floor. Squirrels and chipmunks grabbing their last nuts for their winter supply. Water droplets falling from the canopy above.
Amongst us humans, life has also slowed. The streets and trails are quieter. The tourists have returned to their respective homes. The darkness makes the indoors more inviting. Candles flicker as we live our evenings beneath artificial light.
I like this time of year. The chaos of the summer has calmed. I actually have time to think and plan.
I've found the best way for me to get in tune with the world shifting around me is to go for a walk in the woods. It's like a mental reset. A reminder of where we're at on the wheel of the year—which is almost at the end of a full 365-day yearly cycle. Only weeks away from a new year. Another new beginning.
On such walks in the woods, I'll often ask myself:
- What am I most proud of from all that I've become?
- What am I most curious about in all the directions I could go next?
Maybe on your next walk, woods or not, you'll ask yourself the same :)
