Fall In Love With Where You Are
“This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.”
Every year when summer rolls around, it can be hard to ignore the call to pack a bag and head to parts unknown. The idea of escape is tempting, and while I’m certainly not one to deny the travel bug when it bites, this summer feels a little different.
Instead of chasing novelty elsewhere, I’ve been leaning into something closer to home and rediscovering the place I already am. This summer, I’ve been falling in love all over again with my own city.
If you’ve ever spent a summer in Chicago, you know it’s truly one of a kind. The city exhales after its long, winter hibernation and suddenly, every corner is buzzing. The lake sparkles. The skyline glows. Summer is a living, breathing season here.
Every day brings a new delight—golden-hour walks along the lakefront, hidden pockets of green space inviting you in for a quiet respite, local outdoor farmers markets teeming with eager shoppers, unsalted swimming in Lake Michigan, and neighborhoods pulsing with live music, food trucks, and pedestrians exploring their favorite street festival each weekend.
And while Chicago certainly makes it easy, you don’t have to live in a major city to embrace a child-like wonder about where you live. Whether you’re in a small town, a suburb, or somewhere in between, I bet there are places right under your nose waiting to be seen, rediscovered, and experienced—for the first time, or perhaps for the 100th time, With a beginner's mind. As if it’s new, because, at each moment, it is.
So, consider this your invitation to fall in love with where you are. No plane ticket or passport required. No itinerary needed.
You can start by simply walking out your front door. Notice what you see, hear, and feel. Maybe it’s the way the sunlight hits your porch. The smell of fresh-cut grass. A neighbor’s wind chime.
Be present. Be curious. Be open. The key is to slow down and let your senses guide you. Taste the season in local produce or at a restaurant you’ve never tried before. Enjoy your morning coffee on your stoop and listen to the birds greeting the day. Feel the warmth of the pavement or the grass under your bare feet. Take a different route when walking through your neighborhood, just to see something new.
You don’t have to schedule an escape or spend a dime to reconnect with your sense of wonder. Sometimes, the most meaningful experiences come when you root yourself more deeply in your everyday life.
Prioritize activities that nourish your body, mind, and spirit. Spend time outside. Embrace gratitude. You just might just find that the beauty, awe and connection you were seeking were right there all along.
Mindfully yours,
Ashley