2. August 29, 2019

I slept outside two nights this week. Something about the first crisp Fall breeze sweeping through the cow pastures made me acutely aware of the waning days where the light outside is long and the buzz of life in the trees is as full as it is now, and I had the urge to soak it up in every way I could. 

I have spent many moments this week taking a big gulp of air and pausing where I am and looking around. I’ve seen baby cows gallop and play with each other, then return to their moms for comfort when they felt scared. When adding 5 pounds of food scraps to the compost bin,  I’ve dug my hands into the egg shells and molding lemon rinds to see how it feels and smells. At 6 am, I’ve observed how dew collects on strands of spider web and shimmers as the mist rises in the morning. I’ve noticed rock formations in the soil that I didn’t recognize before. Receiving a compliment and letting it sink in and build into my own growing self-appreciation instead of finding ways to tell myself ‘oh, but you could have done this differently, or better.’ 

I’m also observing the patterns in myself, and feeling new agency to begin to change old habits. I am appreciating the ways collaboration is a real strength to continue that I can continue to lean in to. I am finding ways to both center myself, and de-center myself in order to listen and learn from our place with more intention.