Lessons from the Mountain Peak

Last week I went camping by myself. After a busy July, I realized that I had a week off from my graduate program, so I seized the moment to book two nights at Fremont Peak State Park. It was to be a retreat of sorts: I was craving stillness, quiet, and spaciousness to center myself and regroup. I was longing for the wonderful feeling that arises from living outdoors for awhile. I planned to hike, read, meditate, move slowly, and to let myself flow intuitively without a schedule.

Nature, OutdoorsKatie DutcherAugust 30, 2023

100 Days of Ocean Dips: Infusing Life with Beauty, Meaning, and Intentionality

Outdoors, NatureKatie DutcherOctober 21, 2022

50 Days of Ocean Dips, Part 2— Every Day is Different, Some Things Stay the Same

I wrote recently about my many motivations for committing to daily ocean dips, and I ended with this: It seems to me that another lovely facet of ritual is that we keep certain things the same— I put on my swimsuit, I walk to the ocean, I pick up a rock, I slowly immerse myself, etc. The repetition and the sameness serve to emphasize difference—changes in my mood, in the moods of the ocean and sky, the uniqueness of each day’s experience. So now I’d like to share my reflections on the many kinds of experiences that I’ve had, all in the same patch of seashore.

Nature, OutdoorsKatie DutcherSeptember 2, 2022

50 Days of Ocean Dips, Part 1 — Intentional Living, Ritual, and Remembering

Outdoors, NatureKatie DutcherSeptember 1, 2022

Look at Your Moments— Are Your Needs Being Met?

I heard someone say recently, “Hard is different than bad.” I really love this distinction-- it helps somehow. When I am in a challenging time, sometimes I do a check-in with my needs.

Water Thoughts

That swim seems to me like a miniature model of life. Anxiety crescendos and decrescendos; joy alights and then flies away. Grief goes on and on; overtaking me for a time and then lying low. Those anchovies are still out there somewhere in the ocean; sometimes they're all I can see, and sometimes the water is clear. Things come and then they go.

Of Swallows and Attachment

To see my joy swinging in midair and to simply watch it, to note it and appreciate it, perhaps even appreciate it more for the knowledge that it cannot be held down.

"To go easy, to be filled with light, and to shine"

The poem that stood out to me on first reading is “When I Am Among the Trees.” In the poem, Oliver explains so beautifully how her time with trees lets her feel their gladness, lets her hear their voices telling her about a graceful approach to living.