One of my favorite quotes ever is from Thoreau’s Walden, which I studied in great detail during my American Literature class at The University of Texas at Austin. The theme of solitude and oneness with nature is evident throughout this literary classic, and whenever people talk about the forests or woods, the entire quote plays out in my head:

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

Sasha and I are heading to my parent’s house in Durango, Colorado today for an extended Labor Day weekend. I cannot wait to go hiking, rafting, and exploring in this gorgeous town. I hope to come back much more relaxed than I am in my current work state!

Photo via Fourth Lake