So I pitched a tent for the first time yesterday. I thought it came out rather well for a first attempt. It was stable and I could definitely sleep in it for the night. But the instructions that came with it were poor and didn’t do a very good job explaining what needed to be done. I think it’s a bit difficult to walk someone through the process in 4 steps!
Thankfully I found a YouTube video of someone pitching the same tent like the one I had. I felt a little silly following a 12-year-old boy step for step but we got the job done. I will practice a few more times before I leave for the track tomorrow afternoon. It’ll only get easier from here (hopefully).
Besides that nothing much is really going on here. Just a relaxing couple of days in a quiet little town. My daily routine includes getting a coffee around mid-morning, sitting by the lake and reading (or practicing German), and then meditating before heading back to the house.
I am quite happy with my meditation practice as of late. I’ve been fairly consistent with it. Obviously, it’s difficult to sit every single day when you are moving around so much. But I’ve carved out time. It’s amazing how the quality of your health, your thoughts, and your life can improve once you remove yourself from the situations that cause you so much stress.
It’s quite obvious that my happiness levels have improved because I am doing what I want to do. But the other side of the coin is that I’m not doing what I don’t want to do. And that’s just as important.
The amount of stress my work had caused me made me sick at times. And I understand that sacrifices need to be made. But everyone needs to make a choice as to how much they are willing to sacrifice. This trip is helping me understand where I might want to draw that line.