Nudged: Walk in a new-to-me park

Life has been more than chaotic lately, causing me to react and pivot and adapt in the moment. So when I chose this new nudge, I almost took a pass. Maybe this isn’t the week to try something new, embrace a challenge, embark on an adventure. Maybe this is a week I try to return to normal, reinstate my routine, enjoy the same old boring whatever.

But then I remember that this kind of change can be fun. So I accept the nudge. One day this week, instead of heading out the front door to walk the same route, I’ll get in my car and explore some place different.

Shall we?

What Happened: It took me all week to find time to complete this nudge, but Thursday night I searched for “San Francisco dog parks” and, this morning, my loyal Louie and I hopped in the car and headed out.

The first gift of this nudge was discovering sunlight just four minutes from home. We live in the fog and see very little sunlight during the summer months. It gets quite depressing, and I need my vitamin D! I felt my soul lift as we drove out of the drizzle.

The dog park I found wasn’t a great fit; too many small dogs in a small space. After a few minutes of running around, Louie and I headed off to explore, and we were rewarded for our persistence.

The second gift was the views!

We found a couple of trails and hiked for a while, stopping here and there to take in the sights.

Third gift: the freshly cut grass! We lay down in the shade, rolled in the grass, inhaled the scents, marveled at the beauty of the sunlight coming through overhead leaves, cuddled, and got our bellies rubbed (well, one of us did.)

The Ah-Hahs: I feel like I got a small re-set this morning, and it really didn’t take much time or effort. There’s still so much more I’d like to explore in my hometown. This week’s nudge reminded me how much I enjoy doing this–and how important these small breaks are for my well-being.