No Matter the Distance

The cost of living is quite high on the west coast, too high for my tastes. Except in the summertime. When much of the state spends millions to air-condition their homes, we don’t even own air-conditioning (thankfully, because the cost is just too much!) Yes, there are households in my seaside town that have air-conditioning, or central-air, but we who live in those beach cottages that we were lucky to grab before they became unaffordable, we don’t have air-conditioning. Instead, we merely open the windows and turn on the fans and let the cool ocean breeze flow. It sounds like I’m bragging. But I’m not really. Just trying to give some rationale for staying on the coast (despite so many things!)

I’ve made a half-hearted goal to get out and walk or hike every day, and short distances are a-okay. Two days in, this half-hearted goal is a little more solid now, which means it could soon morph into a whole-hearted goal. Today (7/31) I walked downtown to the post office to mail a few items. No big deal, but it was something. And that’s what I’m aiming for especially since work is winding down – something, some kind of walking, hiking, running, no matter the distance.

Yesterday (7/30) was the prize. My husband and I went for an after-dinner-walk down to the beach. It wasn’t much of a walk as far as distance, one mile, maybe 1.5 tops. But it fits the criteria when distance doesn’t matter.

Doheny Beach, a longboard surfing beach

Hwy 1 / PCH (Pacific Coast Highway)

2 Steps Forward 1 Step Back (But sometimes 5 steps back, so it’s gonna take a while)

So, I’ve got everything at home and at my job dialed in. I’ve been cleaning and organizing. The garden looks great. I’m on top of the banking, taxes and everything financial. I have a system with my lectures and have them posted every Friday. I’ve got all my paperwork complete. I’ve even been reading and writing (long loves that I’ve neglected for some time). This side of the coin looks good. And I do feel good about it.

But that’s just half of the story.

Yep, there’s always the other side of the coin. . . now more than a month into summer and I’ve done little to advance my on-going mental/spiritual and physical goals. I take a few steps forward, then it’s always a couple steps back. This of course, is the story of my life. It’s difficult to stay grounded in all three aspects (that is mind, spirit, physical). When it gets like this, I fast, and that helps to focus and ground me. I’m always better when I supplement with a fast. And I’m always better when I get out and hike or run or walk or whatever, just wander. These things, I realize may sound odd, but they give me faith in God and keep me grounded. Oh, and as a side benefit these things also keep me physically fit and relatively trim without even trying (or it feels that way anyway since it’s not the goal).

But alas my clothing fits a bit tight lately.

My last hike was June 29, and that’s been my only hike this summer. It was the Big Loop @ Aliso/Wood Cyns, Aliso Viejo/Laguna Beach, Ca of course, my stomping grounds  (12 miles!), so there’s that. I got a lot out of it, in all three aspects.

It’s been long enough to know it’s time to turn it around and take a few steps forward again.

From my first hike of the summer ~ June 29. The Big Loop

A crawdad!

Wood Canyon:

I almost forgot to show the deer!