Are you feeling it?

Is it just me or has the energy in the universe been whacky lately? Anxiety is running high in everyone I know, including myself.  As a life coach for women, I hear daily stories of overwhelm, burn-out and lots of fear.  A lot of you feel like you're drowning.

It's okay, y'all.  This will pass.  I think.  I hope.

You would like to fix these yucky feelings, make them go away, distract yourself from them (with work or food or alcohol or drama or Netflix or whatever).  Right?

You know what I do?  I go out into the woods.  I breathe, like really breathe, smell the fresh air, get me some heart-pumping exercise, and then stuff's bearable again.  (For an hour or two at least. If I'm lucky, the everything-is-gonna-be-okay feeling actually lasts til the end of the day).

So, my darling, if you are having a hard time and if you're not lucky like I am to live in the wilderness, let me take you by the hand and walk into the forest with you.  These are pictures from the other day, when I walked straight out into my backyard and up the hill.  This is what I found:

Can you smell the trees and hear the eagles and feel the sun on your face?

Another way to deal with the funk is to take a bunch of kids out mountain biking.  Our middle kid Luke is obsessed with this adrenaline-inducing sport, and as a former motorcycle-riding and hang gliding adrenaline freak, I know who passed the genes down to him. 

You can follow him on Instagram and see some awesome footage of his sick sending of trails, bro. (I'm learning mountain-bike speak, can you tell?)

The other day, we went to Darrington, a timber town 40 minutes from us, where a place called "North Mountain" is developing into a decent mountain bike paradise.  Luke's best friend Owen is equally obsessed with building and riding trails, so they're peas in a pod, winning over other friends as well.

Do you have any idea how my heart swells when I ride with these young people?  And I don't mean heart swelling with the pumping of adrenaline (although that IS a factor, let me tell you), but heart swelling with emotions to witness young people out in my beloved wilderness, enjoying themselves, bonding with each other, and practicing their independence.

They are stellar young men, is what they are.

I also took our little Eva this time around, and she and her friend (who is Owen's sister) rode a pretty challenging trail.  Following their brothers down the trail, with me in the back to cheer them on or peel them off the dirt in case of a crash ... another heart swelling moment.

Now that Luke is homeschooled again, he spends lots of time building trails on our property.  He is building so much, in fact, that his skills are getting recognized.  

Yesterday, he and Owen went to Little Mountain Park in Mount Vernon to a volunteer trail building day, where they were the youngest participants and were invited by the pros to come back next month and be the trail foremen leaders. I'm proud of them!

We also try to find time to go to Galbraith Mountain in Bellingham, the ultimate mountain biking paradise 90 minutes from us.  Last weekend, my husband Steve rode with Luke and Owen, while Eva and the dogs and I walked by the salt water.

The good thing about all the riding and fresh air is the amount of food you get to eat afterwards.

Sending much love to everyone!  Hang in there people!  Go out and get some fresh air and exercise!