True Confession Tuesday: Happiness, bliss, and rest are only a tank of gas away.
Where every Tuesday: I confess.
Confession: Happiness, bliss, and rest are only a tank of gas away.
Confession #2: In the almost 11 years I have lived here in Minnesota, I have not taken time to drive up to the north shore and do all the hiking and outdoor activities. Can you believe it? CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? DUH.
Pretty much every 5 minutes I was saying to myself “Why haven’t I been up here??” Which I knew would happen and I knew I would fall in love with the north shore. Seriously – who needs Colorado or California when you can go north and find huge “mountains” to hike and water front as crystal clear as you can imagine.
I’m going to torture you with a couple more beautiful pictures before we go on with today’s confession.
A mere 3 hours away from home is this oasis of nature, clear skies, endless hiking/walking, kayaking and just about any nature/outdoor activity you could dream up to do.
Being outside, in nature, is my way of recharging. Hearing the birds sing, listening to the crunch of the snow/leaves, and breathing in the crisp air is my idea of paradise.
The special activity for the weekend was going to be snowshoeing and fat tire bike riding, but as many of you probably experienced, it was unseasonably warm this weekend. This produced the most amazing experience that not many will get to have.
Kayaking in Lake Superior on February 18th. Check it out.
It doesn’t even look real does it??
I am telling you this story and showing off these incredible photos to make you run up to the north shore as soon as you can (don’t wait like I did) but also to open up your eyes to your own back yard.
I guarantee that wherever you live, there is magic within a tank of gas. So, fill up the car, pack some snacks and maybe an overnight bag, and drive as far as a tank of gas will get you.
It doesn’t have to be exploring nature like I did.
- Find a new antique store
- Go to a sporting event in a new city
- Seek out an awarding winning restaurant or a highly acclaimed dive bar
- Go to a church in a new town
- Explore a new area by bicycle or segway
- Find historical monuments
- Go to a new library
- Pack a picnic and go to a new park
We get very caught up in planning or taking elaborate vacations that usually involve a plane ride or a ton of driving and we forget that we can recharge our batteries in a weekend exploring a new place.
I think it’s the surprise and awe factor – going somewhere and having no idea what you’re going to see or experience is so refreshing. How often does that happen? Certainly not in our daily life as drive the same way to work, eat the same breakfast, drink the same coffee, work the same hours, watch our regular tv shows and find ourselves living in the mundane daily life.
We can take our exploration into our daily life.
- Driving a new way to work
- Trying a new restaurant/bar
- Reading a new book
- Going to a new coffee shop
- Finding a new park/running trail
- Taking a spontaneous day off to do these things 🙂
I would love to hear your thoughts – do you explore new places? Have you been in the backyard of your state? Do you purposefully try to include these things in your life?
EMAIL ME and let me know! Plus I want to hear all your suggestions for my next north shore trip.
Also – there was a LOT of pie. 🙂
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