a little sunset walk

old man's beard wildflowers <3

       It had been a while. A couple of years ago, I had a routine of going out at sunset every day to either jog, walk, or cycle. Being outside during my favorite time of day &  getting fresh air in my lungs was something I looked forward to daily. Seeing the sky filled with oranges, pinks, and purples... like watercolors.

       That went out the window when I went through a hard breakup. It led to other changes too, like moving to a new place. My daily routine of low-carb cooking & exercise stopped taking the priority that it had in my life with every week & month that followed as I got used to a new reality & dealt with my heartbreak.

       Anyway, long story short... I find myself in a better place mentally now. Emotionally, not doing as great. Physically, def not great. I have a lot of things going on, and after two years of health taking a back burner, I have gained a lot of weight. I made a note a couple of days ago that I need to prioritize writing + reading for leisure, as well as get back to my sunset walks. I started today by going for a walk by my new house.

I regretted that I hadn't been on any walks there in the past 8 months since I'd moved. I was used to an actual exercise trail right behind my old apartment; people were out there at all times of day & night. Here I found a narrow trail around a canal that people in the area have carved out for walks & jogs.

        Apartments line one side of the trail, which means it's littered with old mattresses, broken tv's, sofas, old chairs, etc. The other parts where there aren't any houses, there are lemon groves, honey mesquite trees, open fields, wildflowers. Humans like to ruin everything.

       I really enjoyed my sunset walk today. It'll be great not only for my physical health, but also for my mental health, since now that we're in a pandemic, I've been glued to the computer for months with online classes, all-nighters to complete the final semester assignments, and writing for my university fellowship.

        I'm very aware that I need to be physically active & that I need to start eating healthier. I can't be devoting all my energy to school. I also need to focus on living my life, doing things I love, practicing self-care. I wanna be a happier, healthier human.