Fall Escape

It has been too long since I sat down with a cup of coffee and my blog.
Instead the coffee has been sipped while rushing off to my 8AM classes and my writing has been for research papers with the stress of trying to write an "A" worthy paper.

But here I am typing in one of my favorite ways and sipping an afternoon cup of Joe.

Yesterday I was reminded of the simplicity of life and how great a need there is to "escape" lists and planners, cell phones and computers. I was supposed to go to Six Flags (an amusement park) with my boyfriend but when we arrived, it was incredibly busy and we decided we would not have fun waiting all day in line to ride only a couple of rides.

 So instead, we went on a hike next to a river. We crossed the river (boy! was that water cold!) and sat for a little while on a broken stone wall that used to be part of a dam. As I sat there, I didn't think about much. I just watched the gentle rapids go over and around the rocks and the fish swim in the calm parts of the water, while I let the warm sun and a cool breeze hit my face. After that, my boyfriend and myself took turns taking naps in a hammock with the breeze causing the leaves to rustle and add to the background noise of the rushing river.

After walking around in the woods and exploring old cotton mill ruins, I was so grateful for the chance to escape from responsibilities for a day and just soak in some fresh air and the sun.

It was the little moment of escape...that refreshed me.