OUTDOOR PERSON DISCOVERED
Something I’ve known forever, but just never acknowledged before this trip to the desert, is that I’m an outdoorsy girl. I craved to be outside in the sunshine all day long. I’d start my day off with a 2 hour hike or walk and then sought every other available opportunity to be outside. With the sun shining, it was painful for me to sit in front of my computer or scrub bathrooms, when I could be:
- swimming,
- outdoor shopping in Scottsdale,
- outdoor touring (e.g., the spring training baseball game (Los Angelas Angels versus the Arizona Diamondbacks), Queen Creek Olives, wineries, Tucson Western Movie Museum town, Roosevelt Dam, South Mountain),
- visiting Outdoor Cafes and Restaurants,
- touring show homes (AND NO… We aren’t buying a vacation house.), etc.
There was always something pulling me away from the condo and I loved that – just spending time outdoors – without guilt. (I know I was more successful with this than my employed husband, but I also believe I’m more of an outdoor person than he is- with or without his job!)
BASEBALL FANS-NOTICE THE BASEBALL CAPS!
HOTDOGS? ONLY AT A BASEBALL GAME!
I think this extended trip gave me my first true feeling of being liberated from the workforce. There is no doubt in my mind that I am further along the retirement spectrum than my overly productive husband. When you reflect on your extended desert stays, what have you learned about yourself? I know my readers and I will get a kick out of this answer, so please, please, please leave a COMMENT in the COMMENT SECTION below.
YOGA ON THE MOUNTAIN TOP!
WHO’S THAT LITTLE SHRIMP?
I’ve not been able to hike much in the desert, but the few times I have I felt conflicted between getting sick of the exposure and enjoying the uniqueness of the ecosystem. I hiked in Utah canyon country recently and Arizona near Tucson when I was younger. The best thing was that it’s so dry I can’t feel my sweat because it evaporates so quickly!
Thanks for checking out my instalments of desert hiking. I highly recommend it. Not only do you get a good workout, but there is so much beauty in the desert, especially when the cacti are in bloom (late Feb./ early March). You obviously have a good eye for appreciating the art form aspects of this unique ecosystem. (I never did have a snake cross my path, so maybe that’s why I am still high on the merits of hiking in the desert… and I don’t sweat!- ha!)