Oh it’s been a good week. I spent three days house and dog sitting sweet little Rosco in San Rafael. We got out for walks around the neighborhood and he snuggled on my lap at night. I spent time doing art, reading, preparing for upcoming JNE interviews and doing some work for my friend’s nonprofit. I got out for a morning kayak with my sister on Tuesday, which was a lovely warm day, even in Sausalito! The water was calm as anything. We saw lots of sea lions and even in the distance, whales spouting! There was one frisky sea lion who kept following behind my kayak and doing flips to try to get our attention. Afterwards I sat on the deck in one of the rocking chairs and finished reading my book about the importance of psychological richness, very apt.
The weather changed dramatically on Wednesday dropping more than 20°, getting a little rainy and windy and gray. So on Thursday morning I did what I love to do in this kind of weather and went for a hike on Mount Tam. I parked at Pantoll and hiked the Stapelveldt trail to the TCC trail then up Van Wyck meadow to Bootjack and the Alpine trail. It was amazing! I only saw one other hiker who passed me about halfway through my trip. It was super foggy, sometimes windy and wet and absolutely lush and gorgeous, so very life affirming!
On my way home I stopped at a memorial for four young men who died in a car accident 30 years ago. I had gone to high school with one of them. They died the same year Emmy was born, when my life was going through big changes. I wonder what their lives would have been like if they were still alive today.
I also spent time this week exploring a potential PhD program I’m interested in and looking at a spending a month in Sweden on another workaway adventure in the summer. Life is just wonderful. I feel very lucky.