who said adventures are just for weekends?

This week I've been experimenting with the bus again. Reading and discussing Living More With Less has reminded me to be intentional with things like transportation, technology, and food. And so I challenged myself to take the bus, instead of drive, to work on the days I was able. It meant getting up before 6 on Tuesday so that I could (theoretically) get to my yoga class at 6:30 (theoretically because the bus was either early or very tardy and thus I missed the first 10 minutes of my 45 minute yoga class).  It meant running into a client after yoga as I walked to catch my next bus to work. It meant spending more time with my boss when she insisted on driving me part or all the way home. 

West Irondequoit Bay Park

And it also meant that when I took the car to work yesterday I decided to take advantage of the freedom having a vehicle provided and went exploring between yoga and work. I visited a park where one of my clients told me he likes to fish. It's only a few miles from my work but somewhere I had never been before. It was so beautiful - filled with greenery and bird song with the foggy bay off in the distance. And I was giddy from the adventure and unexpectedness of it  - I couldn't help thinking that I was cheating on life by having an adventure in the morning before a busy day at work instead of waiting until the evening or the weekend to explore. I treasured the moments in the fog, the flowers, the birds, and even the swan I saw swimming on the bay. And the fifteen minute adventure brightened my whole day.  

I was joined on my adventure by a swan

Some other adventures I've had recently:
- sewing a colorful, African, patch onto an old pair of jeans
- baking bread - that finally turned out!
- daily watering and caring for the garden
- learning to make sweet tea!
- cleaning and re-arranging Fishy's tank
- packing up some stuff to send to VA with Tania

where i'm at today

I have five tomato plants in my front yard. I have dirt under my fingernails. I have a 3 week old sunburn that faded to a tan on my shoulders. I have the beginnings of my chaco tan on my feet. I'm snacking on Wasabi pees and string cheese. My no longer reaches the top of my shoulders (but it still goes back into a ponnytail). There is an apple cake in the oven and sweet tea cooling the fridge. My feet are dirty and my soul is well.

Some of the highlights of the past month: 

- a 10 day trip to Virginia to spend time with Matt, play games board games almost every night, visit my soul-friends at the tree house in Harrisonburg and keep building my friendships in Richmond, see dear friends graduate from EMU, eat Clines ice cream, get a sun burn, and experience the hope of spring before the buds started poking out here in Rochester

- watching the transformation to spring here in Rochester and feeling the lightening of my heart as the days continue to be long and warm and the world turns green

- supporting the Ban the Box initiative that would provide my clients an opportunity to compete for employment based on their qualifications (see more about Ban the Box here ) 

- getting rained on at the Lilac Festival! 

- playing games and talking politics at the RMF games and junk food night

- watching the season finale of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD with the Stuckeys 

- reading and discussing "Living More With Less" with wonderful women from Rochester Mennonite Fellowship

- shopping at the public market for vegetables, bread, and occasionally an Easter Lily

- planting the lily, along with the tomatoes, mints, some basil, mums, a rose, morning glory, kale, etc in our small yard

- exploring Wayne County yesterday with Ket - getting free gifts, free snacks, and new sandals

- network about possible housing/employment opportunities for  when I move to Richmond

some of my goals for the three remaining months of MVS:   

- keep the garden alive and harvest my own tomatoes! 

- see a few more festivals

- be creative - and create thank you gifts for those who have supported me

- stay committed and supportive for my work and my clients 

- continue to grow relationships with people at RMF 

- walk and walk and walk

- not worry too much about the details of moving 

- read lots