I’ve written already about how I take time off for me so that I can recharge and give my full attention to the work at hand. I’ve typically been riding my bicycle lately but due to a sick wife last weekend I ended up hiking with my 2 year old daughter.

You know what there was just something about that place.

Jibber jabber

A nice thing about riding my bike is the speed. I can pretty easily hit 35km/hr in the flats and 40+ with a bit of a tail wind. If I’ve been in the hills it’s not uncommon to see a max speed around 85km/hr.

That speed is exhilirating.

In comparison my hike was super super slow since I was walking 2 year old pace. Sure it was a wide well groomed path but she’s 2 and just can’t walk too fast.

There was something about that forest and the relative peace (amazing how 2 year old chatter becomes white background noise) that just filled me up.

I learned a bit more about myself.

Outside and outside are different

I recharge differently depending on where I’m spending my time outside. Riding my bike for the exercise, to see if I can go a bit faster up that hill, is one type of relief.

Walking slowly in the forest and stoping to listen to birds in the forest with no sound but my daughter wispering is another type of recharge. No music in my ears (as I’m known to play during bike rides) just me her and the outside.

So I learned that I need to vary my outdoor activity a bit more. I learned that I need some more soul recharging in the quiet slowness. I learned that looking up at a canopy of trees feeds me in a way that I’ve just never quite realized.

Oh sure I knew I loved being outside doing stuff (hiking, rock climbing, cycling, kayaking…) but never quite how much my soul recharged different depending on activity.

It’s a lesson I hope I don’t have to learn again.

Have you figured out that place that recharges you deep down inside?