I like to make a vision board for the new year as a crafty way to think about my goals for the coming year. I also hold this concept loosely and don’t base my self-worth on the accomplishing of vision board goals. Realistically, I know that what I dream up in January is likely to change as the year progresses and that is fine. I do find it interesting to look back and see what I took enough interest in to actually accomplish. I feel like this practice helps me gain a better understanding of what my strengths, weaknesses, and priorities are.
Looking back at my vision boards for 2023 and 2024 I realized that out of everything I put down as a goal, the one thing I accomplished both years was the adventure goal. I feel good about this. Actually, I feel great about this. Noticing this and taking a moment to remember the adventures of the last two years gives me great pride in myself for doing something that was challenging for me but was so important to me to push myself to do. The reward of going on just one new solo adventure each year has been far greater than I anticipated.
June 24, 2023
Hiked the 5.23 miles South trail at the Saugatuck Dunes State Park, and went swimming in Lake Michigan at the halfway point. This was a new trail for me, and I made sure to get there early enough in the morning to be one of the few people out on the trail before it got busy, allowing me to have the beach all to myself. The hike out to the beach was easy but the hike back on the dune trail was quite challenging. 10/10 experience.
September 1, 2024
Hiked the 5.11 miles Lost Lake and Island Loop trail at Ludington State Park. I actually planned on taking a shorter loop but took a wrong turn and ended up on the longer loop and I am so glad I did!! This 5-mile loop trail felt like the exact perfect physical challenge for me at that time and I am so glad I pushed myself to drive the 2 hours up to Ludington to do this new solo adventure. 10/10 experience.
Goal #1 for 2025: More new hiking adventures
The Nature Sit Spot
In the Waldorf education method, the practice of a nature sit spot is to regularly observe the same location in nature, marking the changes that each season and different weather patterns bring.
The reason I am interested in this practice of a nature sit spot is because this feels like connecting with my inner child and offering her a chance to do something she used to love.
I have this memory from childhood…
It’s winter, there is tons of snow on the ground. We recently had a snow day. My friend and I dressed in our snowsuits and attempted to build a big snowman. The base of the snowman took so much effort to make it big enough that we tired ourselves out and went inside for hot cocoa. Now it’s the next day and I’m kneeling backward on the couch, looking out the window to the backyard at the big snowball (the base of the snowman).
The snowball is calling to me. Not to be built into a snowman, no, but as a chair to sit on. The day before when my friend and I built the huge snowball and rested admiring our work, my snowy backyard felt like our own winter playland, far away from parents and siblings, chores, homework, and responsibilities. It was a quiet and carefree escape.
Perched on the couch, looking out the window, I felt pulled to go back out there. I needed to be immersed in that wintery world, experiencing the quiet, and watching nature do its thing. I dressed in my snow gear and trudged into the backyard, sitting on the big snowball, and breathed in the fresh, cold air. The backyard looked different from this perspective. I wasn’t just looking at it, I was in it, a part of it.
There wasn’t much to see in my backyard in suburban Grand Rapids (I’m sure my family would like to point out it was technically still in the city). However, there was enough nature - trees, shrubs, birds, squirrels, open sky, a stick pile, a garden spot - to feel like I was somewhere special.
After sitting for some time, curiosity pulled to me explore the corners and crevices of my yard, and away I went immersed in my own world, peacefully content outside.
Goal #2 for 2025: Find a nature sit spot and enjoy
