Slow down and take time to enjoy the day.

The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast and you miss all you are traveling for.

~Louis L'Amour

There's nothing like a solo hike in the woods to be able to slow down and enjoy the journey but it's so hard in our day to day, rushed lives to feel like we have time to enjoy the journey. I believe our journey is defined by many of our choices.  If you feel rushed and panicked in the morning trying to get out the door for your day (or getting the kids out the door), have you considered getting up a little earlier? Maybe try enjoying the journey rather than having 30 extra minutes in bed. Try leaving early and enjoy the drive instead of fretting about the traffic. Sitting in traffic for me is extra time to enjoy the scenery or an additional 30 minutes to listen to my favorite book. Getting to the office early means some quiet time to enjoy that cup of coffee rather than a hurried race to your desk to start the work day. It's amazing how crazy all the other drivers are out there when they are blocking your RACE to wherever you're going. Somehow they fade into the background when you aren't late and you feel you can just settle in with the flow.

There's nothing I like more than a quiet hike in one of our many available natural areas but even then it seems too many are out for the race. Their purpose seems to be how fast they can get back to the trail head or campsite. They miss so much of what's there to be seen. This Junco nest was less than a foot off the Appalachian Trail. If you travel quietly and in tune with your surroundings, you can spot them as the mother bird flies away as you approach. If she hears you coming from a mile away like a freight train, you'll never see the nests.

How much have you missed while barrelling through your life's journey? Slow down, take a walk with a toddler and see how wondrous life can be when you take the time to look.