The Journey Inward

The place I feel most at peace is walking along a path…anywhere, any type. I love being in nature: hearing the ground crunch beneath my feet as I follow the bends and straightaways, taking in the plants and trees dressed for various seasons, glimpsing water to one side, spotting chipmunks, deer, squirrels and snakes, adding birds to my app by recording their calls, matching my breathing to my steps, imagining how long this path has existed and who walked before me in years gone by, quieting my mind, clarifying my thinking, regulating my body. Paths are so symbolic to me in their way forward, with obstacles, different turns and twists, smooth and bumpy parts, single lane and room for more, and savoring the journey. A path is my happy place.