Hurry Up And Relax

This is probably my favorite time of year. Hot hazy mornings bring afternoon thunderstorms. Although today's storm has also brought hail, which makes me cringe asI imagine all my green leafy plants getting pummeled in my garden. I can't stand to look til it's over.

Summer in Montana is different than any other place I've lived. I'd even go so far to say it's a bit magical. I think it's because it's so brief that it's truly appreciated. The days are long and even the night time temperatures are warm. There are three glorious months where I don't have to worry about bad weather, unsafe road conditions or starting my car before I plan to leave the house. I can go anywhere I want at any time I want! This isn't something I ever appreciated before I moved here.

Of course summer does have some down sides (see above mentioned hail storm). One of the jokes among locals is that there are two seasons in Montana: winter and road construction. But even if I'm stuck idling in a dusty construction zone, my windows are down and I have an incredible view.

Along with the summers is a strange sense of pressure. Many summer activities have limitations: some hiking spots have snow most months of the year, the river levels get low, wild fires may start, etc. Just last night, I was having a conversation about how it's almost mid July and we haven't camped/gone back packing/gone fishing/gone rafting. We haven't even floated the river yet, we'd better hurry up! And all this has to be balanced with yard/garden care. We left for a weekend and the weeds were taking over by the time we got back!

So how do you find that balance? Not just with summer but with life in general. It's something I struggle with regularly. How can I manage to do the things I want to do (and enjoy them) without worrying about the things I must do? And what must I do? That's always subjective. I've been making huge efforts to change my ways of thinking and my lifestyle over the past year. That's why I'm no longer working at a job where I couldn't be myself. But it's hard to do things just for me. Like taking a hot summer Sunday to lay around the house when I should be outside doing an activity I won't be able to do two months from now. I guess I need to have a little more faith in myself and know that whatever I feel like doing is the right thing for me at the time. Now I just have to wait to feel inspired to do a 20 mile backpacking trip!