Yesterday was full of frustration. I was cranky for no specific reason, I was getting upset over trivial things, which then caused me to be more cranky.
I snapped.
When I used to get this way, I would normally chalk it up to PMS or being on Prednisone. It's a very restless feeling - where I just want to run and run and run and ignore the rest of the world. Most often I would either hit the gym or just start jogging down my street.
But I am not healthy enough to do either of those things at this point, and I was too weak to even jump on my bicycle for a ride.
Instead, I grabbed my purse, grabbed a tea to go from home, a couple bottles of water, Decker, Decker's bag, my book, some apples and nectarines, and I just started to drive.
The initial direction that I chose was Southwest. I headed toward Chain Lakes - but then I just kept driving. The more distance I put between the city and me, the more relaxed I started to feel.
I wound up getting lost and changing directions and stopping at random places along the way, savoring every single second of that fresh mountain air.
I had no idea exactly where I was going to stop and rest, but I gave myself a time limit. I spotted several different places that would do just fine for a couple hours of relaxation, so I told myself that if I didn't find a better spot by 7:30pm, I would turn around and pick one of the areas I had seen along the way.
There was no need to turn around.
I managed to find a beautiful spot off of a logging trail on crown land. My car could easily get in, there was nobody around, - even on the roads themselves - and there was already a pre-made firepit with lots of logs and kindling off to the side. Then, when I drove in, there was this perfect, fresh, tranquil creek that ran the entire length of the site.
Now, normally I would never camp near a water source unless I was with a noisy group of people... But since I had not planned on actually camping overnight, I thought it was the perfect location for my much-needed Mountain Therapy. I had not packed my medication anyways - it was a very spur-of-the-moment decision.
I hooked Decker up to a nearby tree, gathered as much wood and kindling as I could, and started up a fire (albeit a little pathetic). With all of the rain we've had lately, all of the logs and kindling were still soaked through, so I couldn't keep a campfire going. I DID, however, need some extra paper to help get it started. The only paper that I had on hand was a map of the city. Oh the irony.
BUT - Dex and I got to play fetch, he got to be off leash for a bit because the place was so empty, and I was able to really take a deep breath and just enjoy being.
I stayed out there until it got too cold and the sun started to set, then I headed on home.
All of that frustration and anxiety and restlessness just melted away. It was exactly what I needed to refresh, reset, rejuvenate, and relax.
