I received a holiday leave break from work and I’ve been bumming around for more than a week now. I could’ve gone to the gym, but I’ve been pretty asthmatic since Christmas eve. I refused to use my inhaler until today.

Bumming (and eating) around made me a little guilty about my weight loss plan so I got myself a jumping rope the other day. I could have run around the village today for cardio, but I read that jump rope training is a must for boxers. I’ve been wanting to take boxing more seriously and I thought playing with the rope was a start.

I started jumping in our backyard early this afternoon. After minutes of jumping, my feet hurt and I learned that running shoes aren’t made for jumping around. I took my shoes off and jumped in my socks. Landing on the cool grass underneath my feet felt good. It felt better than landing on a shock-absorbing gym floor.

I jumped for almost an hour and I was really exhausted. The breeze was pretty cool so I decided to lie down in the grass, under a tree. It was only then when I realized that the sky was a pretty shade of blue. The breeze + blue sky combo was perfect. I lay there and appreciated the beauty.

I cannot remember the last time I was this intimate with nature. Being in front of the computer at least 10 hours a day, 7 days a week has kept me from appreciating the beauty around me.