Nudged: Go to the botanic garden

Several years ago, pre-COVID, Thor and I spent a long weekend in Portland, Oregon. Ahead of our trip, we asked friends what we should do while we were there, and several people suggested the Japanese Garden and the Rose Garden. Not really our thing, but we had a free day, so decided to check them out.

Well…amazing! Breathtaking, mind-blowing, beautiful! At one point, probably around the time we were oohing and ahhing over the bonsai, we turned to each other and said, “Don’t we have something like this at home?”

Yep. In Golden Gate Park, about 15 minutes from our house.

And we’d never been there.

We did finally make our way to our local Japanese Tea Garden when it first reopened during the pandemic, and it exceeded our expectations. Wish I could tell you I’ve visited regularly since, but….

This week’s Nudge is designed to encourage me to seek out one of the other wonders close to home, Golden Gate Park’s Botanical Garden, a place that I have been to before, but don’t visit often enough.

A park, a museum, a charming café you’ve driven past 100 times and always meant to check out…. Where might you nudge yourself to go this week?

What Happened: I had a walk scheduled with a friend early in the week, but we hadn’t yet chosen a location. Would she be up for meeting up at the Botanical Garden? She would!

We caught a break during an otherwise rainy day, and the light drizzle while we were there did not dampen our spirits. The clean air felt so good in my lungs. The beauty dazzled my eyes. Plus, we discovered some recently renovated sections that delighted all of our senses. I was goofy with delight over all of it. What a treat!

The Ah-Hahs: Intentions. Good intentions. “I should, I could….” Sometimes, you just gotta do! The rewards are so worth the efforts.