Seeking a Balance Nature

Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep the balance, you must keep moving ~ Albert Einstein 

This is a quick lunch time post to remind me that today is the last day of living in the comfort of my tiny city apartment. I woke up this morning, aching all over both from dance workout and packing (I reckon 20 boxes sealed is a great accomplishment for one night) For a moment, I was very tempted to pull a sickie at work today. I haven't finish packing everything (manage to focus only on the major things I wanted the removalist to take away) but then again I have to start getting use waking up before dawn. A big yawn and I pull myself out of bed. Yes I am moving back to the suburbs, I will spend more time on the road but I desperately needed the change, more space ... to rest, to work, to store, to grow and to enjoy outdoor activities.


I am never tired of the nature, it's calming, soothing, inspiring effects can never be forgotten. I feel the more I rush, the more time I spend indoors staring at screens and devices ... the more urban my lifestyle became, the more I crave the need for time to get away from it all.

It has been amazing how everyday at work, I have to follow the newest solutions to the old dilemmas: Bringing more green space to the neighbourhood; how to reclaim underused land for recreational and other "sustainable" methods etc. ... bottom line is how to provide more and more people the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of spending time in nature.

Lately, I have seen fantastic examples of how designers and architects, urban planners and city officials have accomplished both large and small-scale projects, from bringing a bit of greenery, and open space to otherwise bleak surroundings. It has been a massive task in all aspects and it has also become council's poster-project (publicity) whose main focus should instead be helping the projects get off the ground.

We expect much more reclaiming of unused space, more green roofs, more natural features replacing concrete and asphalt, more walking and hiking paths, more waterways for recreational use, more spectacular viewing areas, more urban sanctuaries, more trees.

Getting back to nature is not a new phenomenon. For hundreds of years, wealthy city dwellers have travelled to beach houses and summer resorts, and withdrawn to their cottages and lakeside retreats. They've enjoyed fresh air in their gardens and estates. Even ordinary people like me, need a place to catch my breath as environment become more and more urban. Children sent off to summer camps while adults chose to go hiking and camping, some families plan long drives in recreational vehicles ... in short tourism boomed and being in nature became the vogue thing to do. And it has remained so ever since.

As I seek balance in my hectic life today, I see solution outdoors. "Green space" in cities and suburban is beneficial from recreational, ecological, economical, social and health perspective, but mostly I love it because it is just plain beautiful. I love gardens and parks, ponds and water features, playgrounds and sports fields, open plazas, avenues and boulevards.

I want more of it because even the smallest nature lifts my spirits, well I hope the wide open spaces will be able to change my life.