I love January....and I sort of hate it.
I love the newness and the opportunity for fresh beginnings and all of the wonderfulness that a New Year brings. Conversely, I am not a fan of that special south-central Texas mountain cedar pollen that ebbs and flows with the battles between artic fronts that move in from the north and gulf winds from the south that bring us 75 degrees in January. This season, unfortunately, dictates my social schedule from mid-late December until almost early March.
I love the newness and the opportunity for fresh beginnings and all of the wonderfulness that a New Year brings. Conversely, I am not a fan of that special south-central Texas mountain cedar pollen that ebbs and flows with the battles between artic fronts that move in from the north and gulf winds from the south that bring us 75 degrees in January. This season, unfortunately, dictates my social schedule from mid-late December until almost early March.
This weekend, I am sad to report the score as Allergies-1, Kara-0.
J and I had planned a hike at a new park and couldn't wait to check out this local nature refuge that boasts over 20 miles of trails! Score!
Sunday morning, my swollen eyes and runny nose said our plans needed to change. As Jason can attest, I do not take too kindly to my plans being changed last minute, especially when it is something I am so very passionate about doing. So when my stubborn self concocted an alternative plan, he knew talking me out of it would have been fruitless, regardless of the shape I was in.
We are happy to report it worked out pretty well.
We decided that while my nose could not handle being out in the middle of the woods for a few hours, it could handle hanging out in the car with brief stops to scope out the area. So we grabbed the trail map, my camera, and a box of tissues. A fifteen-minute drive landed us at a local lake that is home to the Ft. Worth Nature Center and Refuge.
It never ceases to amaze me how we can be native to an area and 40 years in and still discover new places to explore!
We drove to the suggested, a-hem, "parking lot" for the trailhead we wanted to check out and quickly realized our sweet little Nissan Altima is not really suited for the outdoor life as we maneuvered into a "parking spot" and crawled out of the car.
We also were not prepared to see this sign as we started to poke around and figure this place out.
On the other side of the fence was the firearms prohibited sign which leaves me wondering what the suggested form of alligator protection would be in a situation should it be necessary.
Hmmm.....
Nevertheless, my sense of intrigue took over, runny nose and all, and we wandered a little further down the trail than Jason would have liked...no packs, no gear, and absolutely no alligator repellant.
The truth is, I always have to keep going just a few more steps just to see what may be ahead, no matter what we are facing in life.
And, I have to say I know this about me.
And, I do it anyway as my longsuffering husband wanders behind me consistently repeating, "We should probably head back now" while I pretend I don't hear him and just keep moving forward.
Each time, I test that line just a little more until I hear that tone in his voice. You the one. It kind of sounds like a father who is just about done with their toddler. Curiosity just gets the best of me and my amazing husband has only so much grace for it when we are not "fully prepared". He has to always be prepared. Always.
Remember? I'm the sail, he's the anchor.
Poor guy. He has his hands full with me.
Our 10 minutes out of the car, though, quickly determined that this will be the place to go for the next hike, hands down.
Once we returned to the car, the decision was made that it would be a good idea to drive the roads of the preserve and check out the different parking spots and trailheads. Because he knows me so well, my incredible husband stopped at every spot giving me a few minutes to step out, explore, ooooh and ahhhh and get a few pictures.
We are happy to report it worked out pretty well.
We decided that while my nose could not handle being out in the middle of the woods for a few hours, it could handle hanging out in the car with brief stops to scope out the area. So we grabbed the trail map, my camera, and a box of tissues. A fifteen-minute drive landed us at a local lake that is home to the Ft. Worth Nature Center and Refuge.
It never ceases to amaze me how we can be native to an area and 40 years in and still discover new places to explore!
We drove to the suggested, a-hem, "parking lot" for the trailhead we wanted to check out and quickly realized our sweet little Nissan Altima is not really suited for the outdoor life as we maneuvered into a "parking spot" and crawled out of the car.
We also were not prepared to see this sign as we started to poke around and figure this place out.
See, isn't adventure fun?
Hmmm.....
Nevertheless, my sense of intrigue took over, runny nose and all, and we wandered a little further down the trail than Jason would have liked...no packs, no gear, and absolutely no alligator repellant.
The truth is, I always have to keep going just a few more steps just to see what may be ahead, no matter what we are facing in life.
And, I have to say I know this about me.
And, I do it anyway as my longsuffering husband wanders behind me consistently repeating, "We should probably head back now" while I pretend I don't hear him and just keep moving forward.
Each time, I test that line just a little more until I hear that tone in his voice. You the one. It kind of sounds like a father who is just about done with their toddler. Curiosity just gets the best of me and my amazing husband has only so much grace for it when we are not "fully prepared". He has to always be prepared. Always.
Remember? I'm the sail, he's the anchor.
Poor guy. He has his hands full with me.
Our 10 minutes out of the car, though, quickly determined that this will be the place to go for the next hike, hands down.
Once we returned to the car, the decision was made that it would be a good idea to drive the roads of the preserve and check out the different parking spots and trailheads. Because he knows me so well, my incredible husband stopped at every spot giving me a few minutes to step out, explore, ooooh and ahhhh and get a few pictures.
Somehow, what was supposed to be just a short outing to scope out this new place, became a full morning of exploring.
On the drive home, we reflected on the weekend as a whole and recalled how incredibly "full" our life is.
Adventure wasn't just defined by whether or not we hiked Sunday morning. It was found in discussing deep things with the people we do life with Friday night. It was found shopping at Ikea on Saturday with our kiddo who decided he needed to count every single step he took while we were there. I stopped listening at 1,245. He didn't stop counting.
Adventure was found when we went on a double date with some new friends Saturday night and drove home talking about how amazed we are at the incredible people God consistently brings into our lives. And, finally, adventure was found when we, I mean I, changed my disappointed attitude around Sunday morning and decided to make the best of my sickly situation and found a way to explore anyway with an open heart and a hand full of tissues.
I wouldn't go as far as saying we have childlike faith, but we are finding that as we age we are becoming more and more amazed at the beauty found in simplicity, the unassuming, and the everyday.
We are discovering that real adventure is more about what we are learning about ourselves and the outlook we bring to situations than it is about discovering new places.
But, we are still going to go new places.
I mean, really.
"If you pursue happiness, you are an ordinary person. If happiness pursues you, you are an extraordinary person. Do not chase happiness; let it chase you."
~ Peter Dunov
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