Take Time to Recharge
There’s a trail in Marin County that I’ve been walking practically all my life, first as a child with my parents, then on my own or with friends, and now with my young daughter on my back. Lately, amid all the dire news about our changing planet, I’ve found myself craving time on this beautiful — and familiar — path more than ever.
The trail begins in rolling hills, winds through meadows, passes by wetlands, and drops hikers at a small protected beach on the Pacific. Over the years, I’ve encountered all manner of wildlife there, from bobcats and rabbits, to blue heron and egrets, to coyotes, and I believe, once, a distant mountain lion. I’ve played in the waves at the ocean, spent foggy days huddled on the sandy coast, and jogged the well-maintained path back in the days when, well, I jogged.
The idyllic trail has become popular over the years, packed with locals and visitors alike. So, perhaps longing for an experience more akin to that in my youth, I’ve taken to going earlier in the morning or later in the evening, when the crowds are thin and the chatter of animals, rather than that of humans, rings in the air.
During these peaceful hours, I’m able to recharge. I can stop and watch the wind rustling waste-high grass, immerse myself in the birdsong coming from the blackberry bushes, and anticipate the first glimpse of the ocean as I round a familiar bend. I know this sliver of nature isn’t immune to our warming atmosphere. But I am relieved that despite the fast clip of change all around me, this path, so far, feels the same.
I hope you, too, have a place to recharge. A place, whether new or familiar, that provides some respite. Because given the way things are going, it’s clear that the fight for our planet will be a long, hard one. To keep at it, we must take care of ourselves.
Zoe Loftus-Farren
Managing Editor, Earth Island Journal
Photo by: 1Flatworld / Flickr
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