As I write this, I am sitting with my husband on the balcony of our Los Angeles condo, sipping coffee while the birds sing. I come from a family of nature people, but I have never been one. I’ve always been a city girl, preferring a manicured park over the crunchy leaves of a forest hike. And yet, I was that 10 year old who manufactured a makeshift cave out of the flower bushes in my parents’ backyard. I daydreamed (and read books) about hiking the Grand Canyon despite being emotionally and physically exhausted from the hike to Hermit’s Rest. I’m infatuated with the bike paths in our neighborhood which weave precariously between city streets and shaded picnic spots. I will always prefer the city, but a breath of fresh air will never fail to give me a new perspective.
I have been supplementing my city lifestyle with a small urban garden on the balcony where I currently sit. It’s the only outdoor space that is strictly ours, and left untouched, it’s a sea of grey weathered wood that looks out onto a low hill where squirrels forage. Basil, peppers, and tomatoes burst forth from the soil of my garden, adding a bit of green to the grey world. It’s my first venture into the dirty fingernail club, and we’ve gone through our share of trial and tribulation. It’s a neverending battle that has opened my mind to the beauty of nature and my role in it. It gives me a sense of responsibility that doubles as my breath of fresh air.
So, as I sit perched between my urban garden and the birds flitting between the trees, I am reminded that a change in scenery can change how I view the world (and my to-do list!). I may need a sweater to combat the breeze and a hummingbird may fly distractingly close to my coffee (arguably one of the most delightful problems to have), but the same tasks I would have completed while cooped up inside our home office have a new taste to them. It’s spring! The world is alive. Go outside — bring the indoors out — there’s inspiration in every step.
