Dorothy Stewart Trail
Last week I took baby Meredith and Kua for a hike along the Dorothy Stewart trail, part of the lower Dale Ball Trail system in the foothills east of town. This was Meredith's second hike in her first 6 weeks of life! The trail is an easy loop with beautiful views of Sandia, the Jemez mountains, and Picacho Peak, as well as an aerial view of the city. We've had really beautiful weather in Santa Fe and it feels like spring already! As I tuned in to the world around me I could hear the birds chirping to each other and the breeze in the trees.
I'm re-reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, a beautiful collection of nature writing about our relationship with the earth and how humans and nature can coexist harmoniously. I love this quote about the language of nature:
"I come here to listen, to nestle in the curve of the roots in a soft hollow of pine needles, to lean my bones against the column of white pine, to turn off the voice in my head until I can hear the voices outside it: the shhh of wind in needles, water trickling over rock, nuthatch tapping, chipmunks digging, beechnut falling, mosquito in my ear, and something more - something that is not me, for which we have no language, the wordless being of others in which we are never alone. After the drumbeat of my mother's heart, this was my first language."
Now that I'm six weeks postpartum, I hope to get back into a fitness routine, spend more time outside, and focus on my health. I was active throughout my pregnancy and was walking and doing yoga up until Meredith arrived, but I didn't do a lot of cardio during the final months, so I feel like I'm starting from zero again with my physical fitness and endurance. And it's discouraging at times. I haven't been this out of shape in years, and it can be really challenging to make my own health a priority when I'm just trying to stay sane and be a good mother of two, but I also know that I'll be a better, happier, and more energetic mom if I feel better about myself.
I feel so fortunate to live in a place where I can be active and outdoorsy year-round, and I also feel a deep gratitude for my postpartum body, and that my body can do what I tell it to do. This is something I do not take for granted.
The Dorothy Stewart trail was one of the first hikes Jaycob and I did when we first moved to Santa Fe, and while I was hiking I reflected on how much our lives have changed since the first time I walked those trails. We have a family now, and a house. Our values and priorities have changed. We are established in our careers and rooted in this community. We have grown in patience and perseverance and wisdom, I think. Santa Fe feels like a familiar home now. But I also felt a connection between my "then self" and my "now self," because in many ways I'm still the same person. I still strive toward life balance and mindfulness.
I'm re-reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, a beautiful collection of nature writing about our relationship with the earth and how humans and nature can coexist harmoniously. I love this quote about the language of nature:
"I come here to listen, to nestle in the curve of the roots in a soft hollow of pine needles, to lean my bones against the column of white pine, to turn off the voice in my head until I can hear the voices outside it: the shhh of wind in needles, water trickling over rock, nuthatch tapping, chipmunks digging, beechnut falling, mosquito in my ear, and something more - something that is not me, for which we have no language, the wordless being of others in which we are never alone. After the drumbeat of my mother's heart, this was my first language."
Now that I'm six weeks postpartum, I hope to get back into a fitness routine, spend more time outside, and focus on my health. I was active throughout my pregnancy and was walking and doing yoga up until Meredith arrived, but I didn't do a lot of cardio during the final months, so I feel like I'm starting from zero again with my physical fitness and endurance. And it's discouraging at times. I haven't been this out of shape in years, and it can be really challenging to make my own health a priority when I'm just trying to stay sane and be a good mother of two, but I also know that I'll be a better, happier, and more energetic mom if I feel better about myself.
I feel so fortunate to live in a place where I can be active and outdoorsy year-round, and I also feel a deep gratitude for my postpartum body, and that my body can do what I tell it to do. This is something I do not take for granted.
The Dorothy Stewart trail was one of the first hikes Jaycob and I did when we first moved to Santa Fe, and while I was hiking I reflected on how much our lives have changed since the first time I walked those trails. We have a family now, and a house. Our values and priorities have changed. We are established in our careers and rooted in this community. We have grown in patience and perseverance and wisdom, I think. Santa Fe feels like a familiar home now. But I also felt a connection between my "then self" and my "now self," because in many ways I'm still the same person. I still strive toward life balance and mindfulness.
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| My hiking companion leading the way |
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| Jemez mountains to the west |
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| Picacho peak |
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| Someone is excited to find snow |
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