Soaking it in

I wrote this early Saturday morning while I watched the sun come up over the mountains. After a fantastic weekend in the San Juans and a couple of busy days at work I'm finally getting around to actually posting.

This morning as I sit at our campsite in the  brisk mountain air I am again reminded of why I moved to this beautiful state. I am the first to wake up after a long day yesterday, so I am able to sit in silence alone and start what will surely be a long day by listening to nature wake up around me. There is absolutely no other place I would rather be at this exact moment.

I could sit here for hours listening to the sounds of flowing water and the singing of the birds that have already risen to start their day. Our campsite is nestled in a small clearing by some old mining grounds that the San Juan mountain towns are famous for. Behind me the ridge rises just over a thousand feet and to the west are several peaks and saddles that I don't know the names of, but the names aren't important. What is important is the way the sun is casting its early dawn light over the peaks to the west. The colors are vibrant and beautiful. It is my first true mountain sunrise and I contemplate taking a picture to capture this moment, but decide against it. Pictures wouldn't be able to do the beauty any justice. Sometime some views aren't meant to be shared with others through a picture. Sometimes some moments are just meant for you. For you to sit still, soak in, and appreciate that you have been given that moment in time. 

The world is quickly becoming a world of technology and instant gratification. So many moments are missed because our faces are buried in the screen of our smart phones. Mornings like this one were never meant to be seen through the screen of a camera or a smart phone. Mornings like these were created to remind me that, even though I miss people from the mid west, I made the right decision in  moving here.

I challenge you wherever you are and whatever you are doing to occasionally take a step back and truly soak in the moment and your surroundings. Don't ruin it with technology, you can answer the text, or look at social media later but you will never again be given the same exact moment. It has always been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes no words are needed. Sometimes the silence can be beautiful. 

Live smart, but most importantly live happy!!!