A wonderful waterfall

These last few weeks I've been pretty much consumed with school fundraiser Co-Chair duties (I am co-chair again for my kid's school's biggest fundraiser of the year that happens next month).  On one hand I LOVE IT!!! because it's pushing my comfort-zone into new life changing creative and mental territory (that's a blog post or two or three all on it's own), I feel like I'm positively contributing to the school, and well, ya, I like having a meaningful project to work on for a change.  Yes, I am unemployed and I get bored, okay!?

But, sometimes enough is enough and I have to detach and gain perspective and just find some pure joy and take care of my Daria soul.  Otherwise, someone might find me with crazy eyes all curled up in a fetal position in a corner of the school auditorium muttering "must get one more shot for my all important fundraiser video that will help us make lots of money...one more shot...one more shot...just one more shot...one...more...shot".  Seriously, it could happen!

Ya, ummm, not interested in going there, thank you very much.

So, today, an absolutely gorgeous bright blue sky 70-something degrees January day in Los Angeles, my kids are off from school for a "pupil free day" and there is no way I'm just hanging around the house and organizing donations and working on my video or anything related to the fundraiser.  Must...get...outside...in...nature!

So, ya, I do just that.

Luckily, my good friend and fellow school mom who is in the same kind of predicament and mindset, suggests a new hiking spot with caves and a waterfall for us to go to and I'm all over it.  I don't have to plan or make decisions or consult a committee.  I just get to show up with a picnic lunch and a car load of kids full of pent up "GRRRR!!!" and restless energy.

Let me tell you something - we all needed it.

What is it about the great outdoors (well, "outdoors" meaning on the outskirts of the big city with parking lots and trailheads and designated trails) that just brings out the best in us?  Is it the relative freedom we feel?  The amazing beauty of nature?  The exercise?  The getting back-to-basics of just being outside away from our lives?  I'm sure it's all of those things and much more.  It probably even goes down to a much deeper kind of soul level.  But, right now I'm way too tired to go there.  Not to sound whiny, but darn, It was a long hike up back to the car!

Even though while on the hike we made plenty of "mommy rules", like we have to be able to see you all, keep an eye on the trail for rattlesnakes, respect nature, and don't climb up that huge cave rock thingy and fall down and crack your head open because omg that (our worst fear) would scare the bejeezus out of us, the time spent there still feels like letting go.  There is no email (yep, I have an "old" phone), no laundry, no appointments, no deadlines, no "have to's", or anything else other than hearing the kids be them silly selves and me getting some precious bonding time with a good friend.  Oh, and ya, the waterfall was really really pretty.

Now that I'm home after our beautiful, but whew!, rather vigorous hike, I feel a renewed sense of calm and positive mojo.  Deep down, I know that everything that needs to get done for the big fundraiser will get done, and, oh ya baby, I will ROCK IT!  Of course, it will be due in part to everyone involved and all of our hard work and ya, well, because I'm so awesome and modest...ha ha ha...  I wouldn't be able to see and appreciate all of that glory if I was curled up in a crazy fetal position or in an overwhelming pressured haze of stress and suffocating loss of self.  I simply won't let myself go there.

I'm not completely naive to think that these next four weeks of fundraiser crunch time won't be up and down crazy stressful busy, but at least I have today.  The energizing and spirit-lifting day that gave me a bit of a well-deserved break from it all.  I may not feel the same way tomorrow when I must face the massive pile of "to do" stuff, but it's okay.  I will happily do it all with my newly unearthed pile of smiles and immense gratitude...oh, and lot's of coffee helps...and...can't forget the chocolate...and of course, dance music.  Really, it will be worth it.  I just know it.