2020 - the year of the pandemic. What a difficult year this has been. Way back in March, when we all suddenly found ourselves quarantined, separated from loved ones, concerned about our health, unsure about the future, and unable to buy toilet paper, a good friend who is a therapist suggested taking several steps every day to help stay centered and reduce anxiety. Those five steps were to spend time outdoors, exercise, make a list of things for which to be grateful, connect with family or friends, and identify things beyond your control and let go of them. As the months have passed, I have tried to keep these things in mind. I’ll be honest - spending time outdoors and exercising every day have always been part of my routine, and connecting daily with people via phone or text has been easy, if a somewhat unsatisfying substitute for meeting in person. But remembering every day to be grateful for something, and identifying things beyond my control that I need to release have proven to be challenging practices. This weekend, though, it all came together. A dear friend invited me and two others to spend a few days at her home on the Chesapeake Bay. Yes, it was a little scary being with people outside of my “bubble.” However, the other invited friends have been very cautious for months, the group was small, and we would be spending a good part of our time outdoors, so I decided that it was safe enough. I recognized the need to give up complete control of my environment, if even just for one weekend. I was so grateful for the opportunity to share a bottle of wine, a delicious meal, and hours of in-person conversation after months of “virtual” coffee and wine “gatherings.” The best part, though, was still the part that comes easiest to me - time outside, getting fresh air and exercise. We spent a gorgeous afternoon walking around a small local farm, taking photos in the pumpkin patch and reveling in the beautiful fall weather.