Sometimes it takes leaving home for me to appreciate where I live. This happened recently when I went on a week-long writer’s retreat in St. George Island, Florida. I deliberately picked a retreat in a location that was totally opposite from the environment where I live, hoping to trigger my censor and become re-inspired as a writer when I returned home.
My plan worked, but not entirely in the way I had expected. Although I was inspired in my writing, what really inspired me was photographing the sky. I spent a lot of time in Florida photographing beautiful sunrises and sunsets along the beach to take back home as a souvenir of the beautiful place where I stayed to get rejuvenated as a writer.
Once I returned home, I began to pay a lot more attention to the sky and the cloud formations where I live. I’ve made an effort to get outside with my camera when the sunrise looks spectacular from my kitchen window and capture the views with as much enthusiasm and amazement as Florida’s coastal sunrises and bayside sunsets.
I’ve always taken note when the sky looks exceptionally beautiful at home, but lately I’ve made a point to capture those scenes as if I were keeping them as souvenirs of home. Wintertime makes just as beautiful sunrise and sunset scenes right here as it does at the ocean.
December is hectic enough that we could all stand to slow down and appreciate where we live, what we get to enjoy and see every day, and appreciate the views that have been put before us. Each day is a gift, and what better way to show our appreciation than to take a moment and acknowledge a sunrise or sunset.
I encourage you to keep your camera (or phone, since most have good built-in cameras now) handy and get out and capture one such moment. It only takes a couple of minutes and it is well worth your time. We all live in beautiful places and we shouldn’t take such beauty for granted. This holiday season, be inspired by the gift of where you live and appreciate the view from your home.
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