Spring Always Comes

Hi there! I'm Jennifer. Heather graciously invited me to post my Talez from the Trail. I'm an avid walker, avid knitter, avid reader, avid vacationer, and a fan of all things pop culture-y. In my real life I manage a website and social media for a non-profit organization.  

Today I did two things I hardly ever do:

1. Went for a walk when there were important sporting events on network TV (I'm too cheap for cable and a huge sports fan).*
2. Listened to the same song on repeat for the entire walk.

* Calm down; I started walking during halftime of the Michigan State/UConn game and only missed a bit of the second half. 

The song I listened to was "Chocolate" from The 1975. It's super catchy, and as I did my dorky head-bops and hand grooves down the street, I kept hearing this line: "We're never gonna quit it, no, we're never gonna quit it, no." It made me smile and believe. 

It's been an exceptionally tough six months. The best way to put it is that I felt like resigning from life. Nothing more serious than that, but I was just DONE. Done with this horrible winter. Done giving and giving and giving. Done with perplexing, heartbreaking behavior. Done with having to sit at home with a sprained ankle. Done.

I've had a hard time seeing an end to this bewilderingly tough season of life, even though I KNEW there would be an end. But spring always comes. (Unless it's Game of Thrones, and I can't even tackle that "winter is coming" business today.) 

Spring always comes. There's days when it's 47° and sunny. There's days when I actually want to dance instead of crying. There's days when I realize that I'm not quitting, not giving up and am strong. I'm seeing spring even though there are still massive snowbanks everywhere. I'm enjoying the epic goose battles outside my window because it means that spring is here--a new season, a new start, a new hope.

I'm a God person, so along with spring always coming, I also know that after every Good Friday there comes an Easter Sunday. No matter how dark and hopeless things are (and believe me, I've lived that hopelessness since October), there is a resurrection that defies belief. I saw a tiny glimpse of that today. And I'm not quitting.

[Upon coming home and reading the lyrics, I'm pretty sure this song is about drugs. Don't do drugs, kids. For real. But they also talk about guns under their petticoats, which is tremendous. Free pass, The 1975. Thanks for helping me through a tough spot.]

Season II begins!

First walk of the season. Don't let the sun fool you. It was only 32 degrees!

You are probably asking yourself "Season II? What happened to Season I?" Rest assured, Season I happened but just in FB posts. Maybe this season we will have flashback posts. 

Secondly, if you came from Pinterest you are probably wondering how this is health related. 2.94 miles 452 calories burned. BOO YAH!

I like how the sun shined off the wet pavement. The trail had been plowed in some parts so that was clear to walk. 

There was quite the collection of poo on the trail. Let's hope it from a dog and people are just confused about how to pick up after their pets in the winter. Way to keep the trail clean for all to use!

 

A little off the beaten trail is a paved shortcut through some backyards. The snow and ice was a little treacherous but I snapped this cool shot of some graffiti.