Tag: personal growth

Thriving Outside

There are months where you survive.
And then there are months where you move.

March was a month of movement.

Not rushed. Not forced.
Just steady, intentional, and full of air in my lungs and space in my spirit.

This month, I followed curiosity and let it lead me outdoors.

I visited the Chamber of Commerce for maps, because sometimes you need a visual reminder that there’s more to see.
I walked for wellness through Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, noticing what was blooming and what was still on its way.
Each Sunday, I walked over two miles, keeping a promise to myself that felt simple, but mattered.

I stepped onto the Wildwood Trail in Forest Park.
Welcomed spring at Smith & Bybee Wetlands.
And then… I hit the road.

Central Oregon opened up in a way I didn’t expect.

I camped.
Slept differently.
Woke up differently.

I hiked to a waterfall that reminded me how powerful stillness can be.
Climbed Pilot Butte and took in a view that didn’t ask anything of me except to stand there and receive it.
Surveyed Smith Rock and felt small in the best possible way.

I stood at Thor’s Well,where the ocean breathes in and out with force and rhythm.
I slid down snow on Mt. Hood, laughing in a way that felt young and free.
I saw wild horses. A golden eagle. A Highland cow.

And I didn’t rush past any of it.

https://www.youtube.com/@ShannonOutside

I let it land.

I closed out the month with a visit to OHSU’s primate center, as a guest—another reminder that there is always more to learn, more to see, more to understand.

But maybe my favorite moment wasn’t on a trail or a cliffside.

Maybe it was going down the slide with my granddaughter, Brooke.

Because momentum doesn’t always look like big adventures.
Sometimes it looks like choosing joy in a small, ordinary moment—and letting that count too.

This month was a relentless flow of fresh air, open roads, and new experiences.
And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t question if I deserved it.

I just lived it.

I’m proud of myself.