arthur r marschall national wildlife refuge

Solvitur ambulando; figure it out while walking

/ antonioyrocinante / 1 Comment

Recently, I had some technical issues to figure out at work, and I was struggling to find a solution. I took advantage of a day off during Fall break to go on a long walk, and voilà! the solution to all the little issues that had been bugging me, magically appeared in my mind. Coincidence? Of course not, walking in nature gives you the clarity you need to figure things out!

Although walking in Florida is not a lot of fun, it is flat, straight, and boring, the odd alligator, or other critters can add some excitement to an otherwise dreary walk. I am lucky to live a few miles from a massive park, the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, so a few times a year I manage to escape for a nice long walk.

For years I have written about walking to connect with nature, to clear your head and/or your spirit, but also to get inspiration and to solve problems. This is not new; I am not that original. In fact, the solvitur ambulando quote which roughly translates to “it is solved by walking”. is attributed to St. Augustine, so the early 400s.

But even before St. Augustine, Spanish (but Roman) philosopher Seneca said the same thing:

“We should take wandering outdoor walks, so that the mind might be nourished and refreshed by the open air and deep breathing.”  Seneca

So, if you are stuck with a problem, go for a walk. You are welcome.

Nature in my Southern Florida neighborhood

/ antonioyrocinante / 1 Comment

If you have at all followed this blog, you know how important nature is for me. Although I am a city boy, I grew up spending every weekend and Summer in the country. I still crave nature and try to spend as much time outdoors as possible. I have written before about the benefits of “forest bathing”, “Shinrin Yoku”. Although Boynton Beach is a suburban wasteland, there are a few great places to connect with nature.

The first and most obvious is the beach! I am lucky to live close enough to the beach that I can go for a run or if conditions are right, an open water swim about once a week. It makes my workout into a meditation; the sea clears your mind! I also go to the beach for my weekly “volunteering” shift where I walk and clean, mostly plastics, but also papers, old flip flops, etc. from the shore.

On the opposite, Western edge of town is the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge which consist of two parts, a mile boardwalk in Florida subtropical forest, and massive swamp that you can walk next to, or canoe on. Here you can see a lot of Florida wildlife: gators, deer, and plenty of birds.

Finally, a few blocks from home I have the Seacrest Scrub Natural Area which is a small park mostly hosting Gopher turtles. This little park is perfect for a quick walk to clear your mind, meditate or just wander.

So I can’t complain as far as outdoor venues is concerned.