Weekend Explorations

Abandoned buildings dot the tundra throughout our little village.  The beaches are vacant except for the occasional wildlife sighting.  Roads are empty of people, and full of village dogs.  The skies stretch for miles and touch the tops of nearby mountains and volcanoes.

With all of that said, our lives have become full of empty spaces, but definitely not empty experiences. We've enjoyed the solitude and simpleness of our new life, thus far.  Our weekends have been full with experiences and happiness, even though they seem to be much less "full" in the traditional sense.  There's no movie theatre to take in the latest blockbuster, or hip new restaurant to meet friends for drinks. Instead, we've been fishing and berry picking with local families, taking long walks with the students after school, and spending lots of quality time just the two of us. 

Last weekend we took some time for just the two of us, Cody and I. We drove to the end of the road, out near the docks, and took off on foot out into the tundra. The tundra is slowly turning, a sure sign of fall settling in. The color changes have still been subtle.  The deep, dark greens and brightness of the berries has begun to fade.  The tundra is now more brown and light green, with the occasional smattering of orange. The beauty of the tundra is very unique, and I'm enjoying watching it progress through its first seasonal change.

Throughout the course of our walk we explored many interesting places.  We ventured into a couple of abandoned buildings, presumably houses or fishing camps that are long forgotten. It was interesting to look at the household items scattered about and try to imagine who had lived there, once upon a time.

Life has been keeping us busy out here, but we are mindfully trying to take time to explore and take in the experiences that our village and the surrounding wilderness has to offer. Here's to hoping that the mindfulness we've been keeping remains a constant in this new chapter of our lives.

Your turn...What local adventures have you been on lately? 
Currently listening to...Barton Hollow - The Civil Wars