Breathe Easy

You know it's spring in Austin when the modest buds dotting the bare trees all over town burst into bloom overnight. It's lucky that I've felt inspired lately to spend more time outdoors, because it's high time I get moving again. You feeling it, too? Watch 23 1/2 hours and just TRY and be uninspired.  

I've decided to tackle the behemoth proposition of being an active person by doing the same thing in two different ways.

First, I am reclaiming time for myself during my work day. Instead of skipping my breaks, if I spend each break walking around the block, I'm gaining a full 30 minutes a day of walking - without even having to squeeze it into my schedule. All I have to do is get out of my chair - and, you know, not wear heels. Which I don't do anyway. So we're good. 

 If I do that every day in a workweek, for a full month, that's 10 hours of walking a month. 

Second, there isn't a day that passes where this little stinker doesn't beg me for a chance to get outside in the world to stretch her legs and sniff some stuff. Which means that the only other part of the equation is taking her for a daily walk whenever possible. 

Which, now that daylight is on our side again, is becoming a more appealing proposition by the day.   

When adding healthier habits to your arsenal of daily living, one of the most important and most difficult components to nail is longevity - which is why I've decided to ditch the weekly healthy habits idea, and instead see how much walking I can accomplish in a month. 

It certainly is a good way to become acquainted with my neighborhood, and, ahem, the neighbors. 

Today had to have been one of the most beautiful days, ever.

To think, if I hadn't been out walking the girl like I was today, I don't believe I would have been so lucky as to catch this beautiful scene. This photo doesn't come close to doing it justice. 

No evening walk is complete without having an adventure and making new friends. 

This fierce kitty - pictured here slowly easing from suspicion back into full repose - is pictured only moments after staring down the hawk that swooped down over him/her, before landing on the lawn mere feet away. Kitty was not all about that business, and after a moment, the hawk realized he'd better beat it. 

Kitty was certainly in no mood to make friends with us after staring into the face of death, but surely won a fan in Indy. 

Lastly, strolling around the block on the daily gives me plenty of time to contemplate, and be alone in my head space. Also, how difficult it is to take a photo of the sky alone (no filter, folks - just sky).

And only a few strolls deep, I can tell you this much - right now, that head space feels level, and ready for positive change. 

xo