I like serendipity, and sometimes it happens best when I loosen the reins and welcome in whatever comes my way. It’s one of the easiest ways for me to be present in the moment, when these little bonus things happen.

It felt really needed and welcome to spend a day pretty much totally at restorative rest. I’m about to head back into an urban space for a few days, and I’ve been on two significant hiking days in the past week, and and I’ve been on the road for almost a month and a half at this point.

And, most importantly, I don’t have to justify my desire for rest to myself.

I love the sublime. The philosophical, literary kind of sublime. Where you feel insignificantly tiny in the face of natural forces immensely greater than yourself. Where you’re awed and overwhelmed and emotionally moved and maybe a little terrified, too.

Yosemite does all of that with its trees and rocks and waterfalls and generally spectacular landscape.

I’m listening to my body and my energy levels and resting. I’m taking to heart the affirmation I wrote for myself this week: This is your trip, no matter what you do or do not see.

Tomorrow, I’m checking out of my gorgeous A-frame Airbnb outside of Yosemite, and I don’t know where I’m going to sleep at the end of the day. And I feel fine about that.

Instead, I’m going to reminisce about how cool driving through Yosemite Valley was, seeing waterfalls and ice-covered rocks and towering cliffs and post-fire trees.

I hope this trip can continue to help me embrace the undefined time. The trip is bringing me joy and discovery and connection, and I’ve let go of much of my natural organizing drive. May that serve as a model for life writ large. Undefined and evolving is where I need to be right now.

Today was a good reminder to myself that it’s OK not to treat this trip like a predetermined vacation experience. I don’t have to keep on squeezing in sightseeing just because I’m near these places.

Today was a real basic bitch day, and I have zero regrets.

We hopped into some kayaks, and we paddled around Elkhorn Slough with seals and sea lions and sea otters, and their pups. [please read that last bit of italics in a high-pitched squeal]

It was a beautiful (HOT) day to drive up the Pacific Coast Highway, including a spontaneous stop at Zuma Beach to sit and watch the waves for a while in the morning. Definitely a day of “detoxing” from the city with a return to solo nature time, which felt really nice.