Coronavirus Days--Week 44

Today, I drove more than thirty minutes from my home. I left my house late morning and didn't return for about four hours. That meant that for most of today, I had no temptation to check the news and see if state capitols were under siege. 

Fortunately, the weather for January has been fairly temperate, with many days pushing 50, like today. It didn't matter if the humidity (an odd thing for Denver) made it feel a little colder. It didn't matter if I might have to dodge a bit of ice and mud along a trail. For a large portion of today, I felt sprung.

Most days, I don't realize how small my world feels. I'm used to not getting in my car for days and days, and sometimes beyond a week. Weeks pass and I realize that the only interaction I've had is with Nan, the pets, and a random store clerk. I forget about the sky and some of the beauty that is within an easy drive. This weekend, that changed. 

Friday, I met a friend to stroll seven miles along a portion of the High Line Canal Trail. Even though other people were on the trail, walking and biking and running, I felt comfortable with my mask, moving steadily. We finished around dusk, with the setting sun casting a quiet warmth to the end of the week.

Today, I met another friend at Roxborough State Park, someplace I'd always intended to visit but somehow managed to never get to. I had to sit at the entrance for more than twenty minutes, waiting for people to exit in order to be admitted, but that didn't matter. I had nowhere I needed to be besides there. Rather than play with my phone, I listened to tunes on the radio, inching my car slowly forward, looking forward to again getting out and moving in some different vistas. Even though portions of the trail were icy or deep muddy, I didn't care. 

Since I return to the zoom classroom and computer screen in a few days, I'm grateful for the moments of my wanders in nature. As long as the weather holds, I will continue to make the space for them since it helps keep my mood up and anxiety down. Today, especially, made it clear that I need to get out beyond the homes in my neighborhood, beyond the predictable route.