I seem to have been neglecting this blog, as I haven’t written a post since November. Perhaps that suggests I’ve not allowed myself space for self-reflection in the busy-ness of this Sun Vista RV Park lifestyle. It does seem as if I’ve been hurrying from activity to activity, often double booking myself. But it also seems as if something in my life has fundamentally changed since retiring and hitting the road.

Typically every new year has been marked by a family meeting where we review and set our goals. We have each had goals for categories of importance – financial, social, educational, travel, health – and we always seem to meet the majority of them by year’s end. It’s February now, and we haven’t had that meeting to set goals. Somehow it feels like now every day has its own goals, and the bigger picture will take care of itself.

What I did find helpful to look forward in the new year was a Washington Post article that talked about a “nudge” word – something that sets your intention for the year ahead. Last year I think my nudge word would have been “Adventure.” when I look back over all the amazing places we went last year, I can certainly confirm that we had adventures! But in thinking about an intention for the coming year, what seems important to me is experiencing- really allowing myself to be in the moment and fully connect.

So that is my “nudge word” for 2024 – ‘experiencing.’ If I’m successful at that, I will have more visceral memories that can serve as touch points for my travels, rather than just rushing from adventure to adventure. I managed that several times last year on our travels, like the feeling of seeing the tarantula at Pinnacles NP on a nighttime bike ride, or kayaking crystal clear waters of String Lake in the Grand Tetons, or the feeling of swimming in icy cold Crater Lake, and I believe adventure will be found in the ordinary experiences too in 2024.

Today as I write this it’s raining in Yuma. That meant that the hiking club called off the Tuesday morning hike and the only item on my schedule is choir practice in the afternoon. And a morning of self reflection and contemplation… which seems to be as rare as rain in Yuma!