The other day, I went to pick up a new desk for my daughter’s room. It was located down Chilliwack Lake Road, one of my favourite drives.
So, I left early, brought my camping chair, a few pieces of firewood and drove a little ways past my pick up destination. Once I got on the Chilliwack Lake FSR I found a nice little pullout with a rock fire pit and made myself a little fire. I dragged my camping chair out, enjoying the view of the lake and clouds hovering around the mountains while I kept my fire going. Sadly, I discovered that my hatchet is very dull and needs to be sharpened, so I made due with the wood that I had and what was around the firepit.
Mother Nature had other ideas and it started raining. No problem – I grabbed my Soccer Mom umbrella from my truck and enjoyed my chair and fire… until it started downpouring! I eventually gave up and kicked my fire apart, letting the rain fully extinguish it as I started packing up. I was soaked in just a few short minutes!
Before the rain, I was enjoying watching the birds flutter through the trees and watching the wind come up in gusts, breathing life back into my dying fire.
It was a great hour spent beside Chilliwack Lake, enjoying the fresh air, the beauty of the place even on a rainy day, and just sitting in nature taking in the silence and the sounds.
I have recently done some reading on Forest Bathing and really believe our bodies need to spend time in Nature, disconnected from the Internet, Screens and Apps. Take off your FitBit or your Apple Watch. Instead, put your hand over your heart and take some deep breaths. Feel your heartbeat. Be Still. Take in the Silence. Feel your heartbeat slow, your blood pressure lower. Your stress level come down. Push that To Do List out of your mind. The thought that “I should go because I have to do 1, 2, 3” is hard to ignore, but do it. Be Present With Yourself. Take the Time For You.
As always, thank you for reading! I have had a lot going on in my personal life and have not had time to get out as much, or write as much as I would like. This little trip was a great reminder that we don’t have to plan these big full-day adventures, we need to make the most of the time we do have! I hope to share another adventure with you all soon. Until then, keep adventuring!