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Sunday, June 24, 2007

A Different Change Scenery

One thing I love about where I live is that I'm in the middle of a state which has the sea shore at one end and the mountains at the other. I went to the beach for a short vacation and had an entirely different change of scenery from the one I had last month when I went to the mountains. Oddly after my brief ansty period, not that long ago, where I wanted to get far away, I'm in a hibernating stage at the moment where I want to stick close to home. I've always had a little bit of a hermit in me. That's why I'm glad I had a few planned vacations because it is important to get outside my home base from time to time, if for nothing else to literally see the scenery change. With a short drive west, the subtle changes unfold during the drive and the same thing happens with a short drive east. From where I live, if I head east for a few hundred miles I'm at the beach and if I head west for a few hundred miles I'm at the mountains. When I was growing up we always spent vacation time at the mountains and the beach and it was quite a nice way to collect different memories. My daughter had similar experiences as she also got those mountain and beach vacations when she was growing up. I used to think one of the best things about where I live is that it was an easy drive to somewhere else, the mountains or the beach. Recently, though, I find myself having long periods of wanting to stick close to home. It's a great perk of my job that they let me, for the most part, work from my home office with rare commutes to the office. Sometimes I think I should make more of an effort to change my scenery though because it is so easy for me to give in to the hermit side of my personality. If nothing else I should drive to some of the different trails that are too far for me to walk to at this point and take a few photo walks a week. I remember doing that for a while when I was trying to motivate myself to walk but not worry about speed. I'd walk with my camera and go to different trails although most were within a few miles from my house. The problem is when I walk with my camera, I don't get the same kind of exercise I do when I have a steady walk. I probably need to do some of both kinds of walking. I'm still struggling with that new normal, post lymph node dissection. You'd think after 2 plus years I would have found that new normal, particularly since I've been lucky as all get out and haven't had a recurrance.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

...begin by knowing that you have already arrived.
-Richard Bach
Jonathan Livingston Seagull

I love the unspoiled shores of North Carolina. Cheers to all of those short trips and to you for the beautiful photos.
AND to no friggin' recurrences!
:) K.

King (Kathie) said...

Carver,

Great pics. I was thinking of you at the beach this weekend (though I wasn't certain if it might be Key West). It's OK to love your home!

Stay Strong

Kathie

Anonymous said...

"Hermit the Frog" that's what I imagine when you say a little Hermit in you...I have a lot of that in me as well. I've always enjoyed the ocean and mountains and have had the same privilidge of having both within 2 hours. Our kids enjoyed both as well. Now, I just want to travel all over the US, mostly in the North West and then our trip to SD next year. There is so much to see and do here. I'm prepared. I've got my off spray, Bug & Sun lotion and bounce for my pockets..I'm all ready to go..look out TX, here we come. I'll try to match some of your photos on this trip.
And, I agree with Kim..no friggen' recurrences! That is the very best part of all. sue