Crunching Leaves

"Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” - Greg Anderson

I'm cruising down a path, surrounded by the jewel tones of autumn; vibrant oranges, glowing golds, flaming reds. I'm in the middle of a loud silence- grasshoppers rustling in the drying grass, the breeze crackling through the trees, and yellow leaves crunching beneath my tires, tick-tick-tick-tick. This is the unique symphony of Utah in the Fall.

It was about here that I thought to myself, "I can't believe I get to live here."

I'm breathing pretty hard (it's been a while since my last bike ride, let's be honest); the brisk air moves in and out of my lungs, an invigorating ache in my chest that eases as I start to relax into a steady cadence around mile 3. There is a serenity about being on a bike with the road passing swiftly and smoothly beneath me. I haven't found anything to beat it yet. I don't worry when I'm on my bike. I just stop thinking about everything so much. It gets quiet in my usually very unquiet head. Biking, for me, is just about enjoying the ride, not worrying about how fast I am or how far I can go. I stop often today to take pictures, I can't seem to get over the beauty all around me.

You can't see it, but there's a black cat sitting on the pavement down under the trees, how appropriate! 

I get really caught up sometimes in the future and wanting to be somewhere else or wanting to be doing something else, some big plan I have for my life later. Sometimes I get so caught up in it that I miss out on the amazing things going on right now. I want to change that. I don't want to miss a minute of life right now because I'm caught up on how awesome life will be later (which, of course, it will be, but that's beside the point, isn't it?). So, today I enjoyed today. I smelled the crisp, refreshing scent of Utah in October. I reveled in my muscles burning and my lungs aching.

I lost myself a little in the rhythm of my legs pushing the pedals and the leaves crunching beneath my tires.

Tick-tick-tick-tick.