The Power of Me Time

My California adventure ended early in the morning on Tuesday, May 8th. It was time to go back home. Two movies, two airplanes, and one truck later, I was home.

Home had changed since I left a little more than two weeks ago. I left winter in the Buffalo area and I returned for springtime.

Real springtime with flowering trees and delicate leaves that are so soft and fresh that they feel like little flowers.

Today felt like a good day to enjoy some me time. I caught one bus to Buffalo and a second bus to the Buffalo History Museum, in north Buffalo.

It was a beautiful and peaceful me time. I wanted to see springtime start to unfold. It is my favorite season and it's so full of life and hope.

So I took a day to see the newly emerging life in the city. I met people, too, with interesting stories.

One of them was a young woman named Lorena, who works in the park. She is from Puerto Rico and has lived in Buffalo for four years.

She is the mom of three small children, and they all speak both Spanish and English, sometimes in the same sentence. My conversation with Lorena was the same; it consisted of Spanish and English, sometimes in the same sentence.

I met a man named Peter, who was looking for fish crow nests. Fish crow?

I didn't know what that was. Peter talked to me about the differences between fish crows and American crows. The most observable difference would be in the sound of the birds' voices.

Their calls sound different. Fish crows get that name because they like to live near wetlands. Mated couples like to preen each other, and the birds like to stockpile surplus food by hiding it.

So... what about the power of me time? Me time outside is very special time.

It is time that I spend with nature and with listening to other people's stories. It felt even more powerful after the winter that felt as if it would go on forever.

Being outdoors with nature in Buffalo was good after my visit to California.

I had the opportunity to experience two very different ecosystems, and I was able to see the beauty in both of them.

When I returned home, I was tired, but happy. It was a good tired, gotten from taking a pleasant walk.

The day had been a bit chilly but full of color and light. I did see the power of me time. I had seen it in the flowering trees. I had seen it in the leaves that were so soft and delicate that they themselves seemed like flowers. And now, I am experiencing a peaceful bit of me time by describing it here, in this blog, and by drinking that last cup of tea for the day.

Note: this is my #FridayReflection, although it is based on last week's prompt. Next week, I will focus on the current prompt. 

Question for you: What are some of the things that you like to do while experiencing the power of your me time.