I so enjoy getting up early. For the past, oh, eight years I’ve been going to yoga before work. It started when I was at a purely desk job at the publishing company, and it made sitting in a chair all day in front of a computer bearable. And I think it helps me be more creative.

Over the past year I’ve been using the mornings that I don’t go to yoga to read. I used to flip through internet stuff on those mornings, and inevitably I came away with an incredible overwhelming sense of despair, so instead lately I’ve been reading books and feeding my brain.

I can’t even list all of the wonderful books I’ve been able to read during these mornings, but a recent one, The Traveling Feast by Rick Bass, really helped me grow the list of other books and authors I want to read. And by the way, if you like writing, nature, food, wine, and the company of inspiring people, I highly recommend this book. All his books in fact.

Anyway, The Traveling Feast took me to Barry Lopez, an Oregon author, whom I had never heard of. The foremost travel nature writer??? How did I not know him? I checked Horizon out from the library, and also got a ticket to a reading he is giving next week in Bend. Score! Did I know if I liked his reading? Not yet, but yes. I do.

I’m only a third through Horizon, and this morning his words hit me hard.

Movement and words. Yoga and books. My favorite things right now are a morning routine that is helping me be more creative and is helping to catch my brain on fire.

To books, nature, movement, and contemplation!