bike + camera

At the end of the spring, I was challenged to make two lists. One list should include the things in life that drain me. On the other list, I should think of the things that fill me up.
This has been an interesting challenge for me. When life gets full of all of the draining chores of life, I tend to spend my time just trying to make it through. I spend less and less time on the things that fill me up. But what I SHOULD do during those times that are jam-packed full of draining activities is spend even more time on what fills me. Otherwise, I will get so drained that I will feel exhausted and depleted.
This summer, I have really been thinking about the things that fill me up. This blog post represents several of my life-giving activities all in one spot.
I mentioned a few days ago that one of the things still remaining on my summer bucket list was to ride my bike at my favorite forest preserve, Waterfall Glen. I usually make it over there a half a dozen times in the summer, so I can’t believe it’s taken me this long! I love to ride my bike. Riding my bike by myself at my favorite bike trail is something I totally enjoy. I don’t get to do this often enough, but I always come home feeling refreshed.
I’ve been challenging myself this year to find the beauty in things I see everyday. Since I had the rare opportunity on Sunday to go for a bike ride solo, I decided to take my camera along. Taking photos is another thing I have realized lately that fills me up. I packed my camera tightly in a Spiderman fanny pack (the only thing I could find), and headed out. I love how just having my camera with me made me really look for snapshots of beauty all along a path I have been riding for nearly 15 years now!
I also have been challenging myself to do a better job editing my photos. I wanted to choose just the top five out of the dozens of photos that I took. It’s amazing how a couple of good photos can look so much better on their own than they do stuck between dozens of average shots. Well, I narrowed it down to 13, so I’m making progress.
Riding my bike on a beautiful summer day with a clear blue sky really filled me up. Taking along my camera added to the fun for me because it helped me notice more of the beauty around me.
Click the thumbnails to ride along with me… And then let me know… What are a few things in life that fill you up?