Hyper Awareness Appreciation and Thanks

Not sure why I was thinking such today, but it occurred to me that there are those people who get this big rush when they travel, and then when they return, to Syracuse, or wherever they call home, they have this impending sense of inadequacy that permeates their day-to-day lives. An inadequacy that is quickly correlated with how less "here" is compared to "there".

Conversations all so often revolve around the status someone is presented with due to their travels - geographically that is - yet are internal travels, our spiritual travels, within our homes or our communities are still very often overlooked. Enough has been written about this, and I don't feel the need to expound on stay-cations or "local" anything, or the need to walk or bike your community to truly experience it.

What I do want to comment on is the need for all of these things to continually expand your sphere of life and experiences, of going outside of your comfort zone in order to experience that rush that one normally gets from travel. When abroad, everything is new and outside of the ordinary, and we become hyper-aware - our physical senses ramping up and our bodies achieving altered states of physical and mental consciousness. Our memories then conjure up related states when we recall these adventures.

The same can be said to be possible for many things that surround us everyday, and for which we can achieve similar states of awareness with in order to bring us closer to "god" and closer to each other. Not the least of which is art and new culture. Art and new culture are are fresh experience, fresh perception, and fresh challenges to your level of comfort. As are, exploring different neighborhoods and meeting new people, and taking on new projects or volunteer opportunities, or jobs. Or even becoming so close to a place through observation of the seasons and vegetation that you see it new every day.

This is a simple call for appreciation. And Thanks.

Lifestyle Journal 11.14.10

Planted] 3 Hazelbert Trees along the backyard eastern fence line, ordered and delivered from St. Lawrence Nursery; transplanted a few stinging nettle, scattered a few Rose of Sharon seeds

Harvested] nothing

Maintained]

Observed]

Prepped/Planned]

Waste Not/Reduce Waste

Want Not/Preparation and Storage

Building Community

Eat the Food/Cook New

Learnt a new Skill

Regenerated

Future plans

Category Journaling

Planted
Harvested
Maintained
Observed
Prepped/Planned
Waste Not/Reduce Waste
Want Not/Preparation and Storage
Building Community
Eat the Food/Cook New
Learnt a new Skill
Regenerated
Future plans

Road Warriors

Just in case you are one of those people who are holed up in your car on the way to and from work, and have even the slighest tendency to get miffed at the crazy folk walking on the streets in the winter - take a deep breath and please realize that this is what we have to often put up with.

Over a foot of the white stuff - snow bank from the plowing of the adjacent driveway - and not seen in this photo, but all sidewalks are not on level ground either, so yes it is slippery walking on this stuff as you slip and slide downhill. Thanks for your consideration as us walkers requisition a portion of your roadway :>)