Wildflower Bathing and Dancing

A few days ago, I explored the Tomales Point trail in Pt. Reyes, California. Pt. Reyes is an adorable little coastal town about 45 minutes from where I live. This land has a complex history of land stewardship and protection. The downtown spans just a few blocks, with a small organic coffee shop and stores selling natural linen and organic cotton bedding, eclectic and esoteric art collectibles from all over the world, and funky thrift shops. One of the main ways to get your vegetables and produce here are the pop-up honor system farm stands filled with beautiful food grown just miles away. No pesticides, just high density nutrition!

The hike we went on was a 14 mile hike celebrating the superbloom that this year's abundant rain brought into play. We were super lucky to enjoy this hike on a relatively sunny day. It's usually foggy and intensely windy.

I took my Nikon Z50 and thought I'd share some photos with the Hive community!

At the start of the hike, you get a glimpse of the beautiful coastline that offers gorgeous views of Tomales Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

This area is home to the Tule Elk Reserve. Due to the ongoing drought, Point Reyes National Seashore provides supplemental water just for the tule elk after years of the elk being forced to compete with dairy farms and other rapidly developing ranches. The longstanding political conflicts in this area regarding elk preservation and legal protection are interesting to read about.

Around the hill, we spotted the male elk standing together in unison. It was a breathtaking sight.

The textures, colors, and smells were delightful. Seeing the cow parsnip plants popping out everywhere brought a huge smile to my face.

For a few miles, the trail was right alongside the edge of the cliff.

The cobwebby thistle is a California native plant. It produces vibrant magenta and red flowers that emerge from icy gray spikes and cobweb-like fibers.

Here's an image of me on the trail, surrounded by cobwebby thistles and miles of poppy flowers, yellow lupines, blue irises, checkerbloom flowers, sageworts, and seaside daisies. As a wildflower lover, I was in absolute heaven!

And here's a shot of my lovely friends and housemates: Kenn, Shakti, and Moksha.

Much of the trail was partially covered by overgrown fields of wildflowers, sometimes taller than me (yes, we did a thorough tick check after the hike!)

The sandy parts of the trail were soft and comforting, and a great workout for my calf muscles and ankles.

Alas, we reached the cliff tops of Tomales Point, which is the end of the trail. This is me celebrating with the Dancer's Pose before heading on the 7 mile journey back to the trailhead parking lot. This yoga pose felt great for my exhausted hamstrings and hip flexors.

Needless to say, I was so happy to be back to the car after hiking for what felt like an eternity. My iPhone told me I took 27,649 steps! After the hike, we enjoyed fresh mango lassis and excellent organic Indian food at the local Arti's nearby.

I'm so grateful for the opportunity to soak up my last few months in California before I move to a whole new state and step into this new chapter of mine. Words can't fully describe what I'm going through, and I'm learning to trust the feeling of "not knowing." I can't possibly know what's in store for me.

Have you ever felt your destiny unfolding, beloved? Have you experienced the intensity of the hunt, the fixation of attention that only fate can explain? Have you ever told yourself your feelings were excessive, but known that something huge and pivotally important was carrying you along like a riptide? You can fight that current all you want; you know it will still have its way with you. Or you can try swimming along with it, and grow amazed by your own power—until you pause and realize that you aren’t moving but being moved. You’re not in control, not at all, and that’s what makes the feeling so exquisitely exciting.” — Martha Beck

What a creative time to be alive. Dancing has been a life raft for me as I traverse these uncharted waters of my life. I've been dancing every day, to all different kinds of music. Below are a few highlights of the sessions that made it onto my phone. Hope you enjoy, Hive community!

Track IDs:

1. All I Want - Double Touch, Reigan
2. Dream Machine - Dominik Eulberg, Essáy
3. Freedom - John Baptiste