As the snow falls out my window, covering the landscape in a blanket of white, I feel a wave of peace and serenity wash over me. Sitting here by the window, watching the fluffy flakes drifting gently to the ground, my thoughts begin to drift away as well. I’m snowed in and have nowhere to go, so I remind myself that it is important to pause and reflect and enjoy all the beauty that surrounds me. Maybe this is spirit’s way of telling me to take some time off.

In a world that is moving at lightning speed, how often do we really stop to appreciate what is around us? We rush through our mornings as we prepare to go to work, we race to get the kids ready for school barely pausing to embrace them and see how much they’ve grown since yesterday, and we weave our way through traffic to get everywhere on time. What does it take to slow us down, besides a rude awakening from the universe? Hopefully we have the strength and will to stop before it’s too late.

These days, I am reminding myself often to slow down, to be patient, to just be. I’m taking time for me. Whether it’s an extra 15 minutes in a relaxing bath, another chapter in a book I can’t bear to put down, another song off a favourite CD, or an extra 10 minutes at the dinner table to really savour my meal, I’m revelling in these simple moments.

I’m especially travelling in a different way now too. Rather than hopping from one spot to another, snapping photos incessantly at anything that looks remotely interesting, and trying to get in as many tourist attractions as I can manage in one trip, I am taking the slow road. I am stopping to giggle at the little lizard scampering across my wall, I am taking time to make conversation with the locals as best as I can manage with a foreign language, I am perusing the markets slowly, looking for that one amazing souvenir rather than buying everything I can get my hands on, and I am pausing to soak in the energy at sacred sites, listening for the wisdom of the ancients being whispered in the wind. This is what it means to me to be present – relishing each and every moment, no matter how great or small.

As I now watch the snow plough begin to clear the road, I realize spirit is agreeing with me. For it is when we have these brief instances of enlightenment that the path opens up, clearing the way for us. And even though I should get to the grocery store and bank before the end of day, I think I’ll take a few more moments for myself to plan my next getaway.

~Daniela Masaro