Thankful for the Great Outdoors

The Main Reservoir walk in Colorado

The Rooney Trail before the bikers and runners came

I feel proud of myself for making time to post in a few weeks streak. It just means one thing. I focus on gratitude for weeks now. What a great feeling.

This week, I am thankful for:

1. The beautiful mountain views in my city, just over ten minutes drive.
2. 60-degree mornings, so the hike felt very refreshing.
3. The energy to rise early and avoid the crowd.
4. My dog joining me in the otherwise solitary walk.
5. The effect of going outdoors has on me--wonderful happy feeling.
6. Calories used for exercising. 
7. Days off to enjoy life outside work.
8. Coffee to keep me going on my workdays in the hospital.
9. My son adulting. He paid for his two old tickets!
10. Apps to motivate me and lose a few pounds. 

Summer Outdoors

Beak Creek Nature park

While visiting the beaches in California, my former state before Colorado some 20 years ago, I realized how I took for granted the beauty of the large body of water when I was living there. How could I not appreciate the beautiful waves and sunset kissing the water when I was minutes away from it? How could I not walk the warm sand at least weekly, the same way I enjoyed it now massaging my feet as I walked? Now I can only do it rarely unless I fly to the west (or east) coast weekly. 

Last June while in Florida, and had a few days by the beach, I did not think about it. I used to live close to the beach, in California, that 's where I stayed for over ten years. Anyway, now that I am back to beautiful Colorado, I told myself not to take for granted the beautiful weather, mountains, and lakes we have here. We have numerous parks to visit, some only a few minutes away. 

Here, my nursing volunteer friends and family visited Colorado Springs. It is over an hour away from Denver but we visited for different scenery and to eat in a Filipino cafe afterward. We squeeze in our Philippine Nursing Association of Colorado (PNACO) monthly meeting to talk about our next project of offering a day of the health fair for the Denver community.

Here is my gratitude list for this post.

1. Beautiful California beaches 
2. Scenic Bear Creek Park
3. A day off to spend with nurse friends
4. My own health and I am glad I can volunteer some time to help others
5. Filipino cafe where I can eat native cuisine I did not cook. I had pancit noodles.
6. Cooperating weather. We did not get rained on.
7. Smooth traffic on the way and back 
8. Hat
9. Sunscreen
10. Money to buy school supplies for my college daughter

That's all for now. What do you like about your surroundings?