Thoughts...Some are Whimsical

On our walkabout, I could not resist taking a pic of the fairy's swimming pool. Although it was a lovely sunny day, it was still too cold for swimming...even for fairies. I'll have to check back when it gets warmer.

Last week I had a wonderful yoga experience and spent the rest of the week wanting to re-create it. I want yoga to become a part of my workout routine. I struggled with the word "workout" here...because I've found yoga to be incongruous with the word. Yoga can absolutely help with toning muscles and promoting balance and all things physical. Yet, it's a somewhat mellow and introspective activity. 

I have this "story" to share and I feel like there is something I'm supposed to learn from it...but I'm struggling with exactly what. 

I've been making a concerted effort to add exercise to my schedule. That is an almost unintended result of leaving the office (and work) earlier. By "earlier" I mean "on time". I tend to work beyond "normal working hours", which is not necessarily a bad thing once in a while...but I believe to achieve my goals I need to be disciplined in not allowing work to consume my attention at the expense of life-affirming activities. --You know like sweating and wheezing on a stationary bike. --That kind of thing.

Anyway, I signed up for a yoga class on Thursday night. It sounded like such a relaxing class (candlelight) and such a nice way to "enter into" Friday as the weekend approached. I signed up online and paid my drop-in fee and was quite excited about what awaited me. My thought was this: Change into my yoga clothes in our gym's changing room. And drive to the yoga studio ready to walk in for practice. I budgeted my time to allow me to get there on time.  --Not early, like I meant to...but on time.

I should mention that the studio is 31 miles from my office. Because the class was in the evening, I thought I would miss evening rush hour traffic just breeze up the highway. I pretty much "know" how long the ride should take. Except...for when there's an accident. When there is an accident all bets are off. When I was a commuter using this highway, I always checked the traffic report (on the radio) before getting on the highway. If there was an accident, I found an alternate route.

I didn't expect there to be an accident this long after rush hour. I guess you can see where I'm going with this. There was an accident...and all three lanes of traffic were just stopped. A complete standstill. 

I called the studio to let them know...I'd be late (if I made it)...I wanted to be sure that they didn't think I was just a no-show. After a lane opened up I continued on my trek. I kept going thinking...maybe I'll be able to come in late. But, alas, I was too late.

So, I now had to drive 18 miles home a little dejected and a lot disappointed. Here's the thing (one of them, anyway), my night was nowhere near as horrible as the people that were in the car accident. There was an ambulance and no less than four state troopers on the scene. It was dark, so I couldn't see much but I hope beyond hope that no one was critically hurt. 

As I was driving home I kept asking: "What am I supposed to learn from this?" I turned on the radio and found a new station that plays '80s music at 8:00. So, I got to rock out on the way home. Joan Jett sounded so so good. The music certainly helped me enjoy the ride home.

But really, what am I supposed to learn? I think I'm supposed to learn that I don't live "there" anymore. What used to be just 15 minutes out of the way on my way home is now almost 50 miles! What was I thinking? I can not think I will be able to make the wonderful studio "my" studio. Not during the week anyway.

So here's the other thing: I'm kind of disoriented. I lived in the SW portion of town for over four years. But what's more, I lived on the same side of town for my entire youth (until I got married). I love our new apartment...but I don't think I've completely gotten acclimated. Where we live is now closer to Raleigh than it is to Durham. But also, where we live is relatively newly developed. There is a fantastic shopping center 5 miles away. But so far, all of the yoga places I'm finding are closer to downtown...which feels foreign to me. It also seems far. And, I may be a little intimidated.

I feel like home is sort of like Winnie the Pooh's middle stair in a staircase:

It isn't really Anywhere! It's somewhere else Instead!