This is Your Brain on a Mountain

Gorgeous day today! This is the spot on my hike that I like to sit and see how far I've come and have a little snack. It's far past the crowds, and just after a whole bunch of rocky up hill so it's a nice little spot, with a rock that is perfect for sitting.
The hike was perfect. Sunny, windy (no bugs), chilly (kept me cool) and 2.5 hours. I hike the same path every time, but each time it's different. The weather, the other people, me - we are each different every time. Although my thoughts about hiking are usually "ugh, I'm so out of shape I can't breathe...ugh, I'm hot....ugh, why do these people litter so much?....oh, I love my hiking poles...eep, that's steep...mmm, lunch...ooh, pretty....I should look into hiking the Appalachian trail, this is so lovely I could do it all day...ah, resting...mmm, flatness....Christ, I hate this part....effing sun, why didn't I leave earlier...I should have gone the other way, this is too steep and I hate it....oh, yah, there's the top again....get me out of here [as my speed picks up for the short trip back down the first hill]...yay, parking lot and fresh clothes and done!"

It looks like there's just a small window where I'm actually enjoying myself, which is sort of true. But it's that feeling that keeps me going back because it's pretty awesome. Plus the fact that moving and working feels really good and I know it will keep me healthy as I get older. And I know that hiking this small mountain is prepping me for longer, higher hikes this summer.

I now bring clothes to change in to after the hike, with a skirt for easy parking lot changing. Fresh clothes make things so much better!

And I made sure to stretch out plenty so I don't end up with sore legs like I did last time.

Dinner was perfect: quartered cremini mushrooms, leeks and chicken thighs chopped and sauteed. Then added capers (can't get enough of those), a little milk with cornstarch, and some small ruffled, trumpet pasta and a dash of Parmesan cheese. So earthy and tasty and healthy and I wish there had been 9 more servings. This dish may be dinner tomorrow as well.

Now I'm having these cookies from Kripalu, to which I should have added chocolate chips instead of sunflower seeds. Except that I had the latter, and not the former.