It wasn’t until I was outside that I realized it.
It wasn’t until I looked up and realized I’d forgotten what color of blue the sky was:
I hadn’t been outside for more than ten minutes in . . . well, forever.
Perhaps that was part of my sickness. Hours & days spent indoors after years of being outside almost every single day.
I’d gotten used to it. Being outside was normal in high school. Feeling the ridiculously potent southern sun on my skin, getting my annual spread of freckles across my cheeks and nose, getting that healthy (yet gross) sweat going: it just always happened.
I couldn’t imagine a time when it wouldn’t.
Then college happened.
You study indoors, eat indoors, have classes indoors. If you’re outside, it’s only to get to the next class, the next study session.
If your soul is weary, maybe it’s time to just go outside again.
- Close your eyes, dig your ankles deep into the grass. Let the sun lull you to sleep.
- Grab friends and go on a hike. So what you’re a certified Indoor Person: look up best hiking spots and find out if you have an experienced hiking friend. Buy some granola cruncher shoes and baggy pants and get your hike on.
- Take a picnic blanket and a copy of Les Miserables or The Good Earth and read outside with the birds.
- Take a walk. With a dog, with your sibling, with your friend. By yourself.
- Organize a lake day. No boat necessary! Buy a really floppy hat and some groovy striped shorts.
At the time I’m writing this, I’ve been indoors far too long. It’s a few days before I leave for camp and I absolutely cannot wait to get outside again. There’s something about being inside that makes you short of breath, pale, and lackluster.
I’ve. Been. Inside. Far. Too. Long.
You need God’s sun to shine on you, fresh air tinged with dirt and floating dandelion seed pods.
You need to let that air fill your lungs with purpose and direction, with the reminder that everything in nature runs according to God’s plans and look at how seamless it all is.
Let the Outdoors do what no Indoors can.
OOOOF I feel this. I was never really an outdoorsy person, but at least I spent a lot of my childhood outside. Once I hit high school/college, I’m pretty much only outside when I’m going to and from class, or between the car and the house, which is really bad!! Thank you for the tips, I’ll be using them!
I totally feel you. I didn’t love the outdoors until I realized how little I was in them!!