words I’ve been considering

In March or April of last year (2020!), I had a lot of Instagram posts where I would take a pic of spring flowers or something I found beautiful (or pretty), and use the words ‘finding beauty’ in the caption. And it seemed like that was the start of something. The year 2020 was full of fear and lots of unknowns. Pandemic.

And I think by ‘finding beauty’ I was trying to ground myself. I paid closer attention to Spring flowers last year. I relished in outdoor walks and runs through the neighborhood. I enjoyed my time working from home and spending the days with our aging 4-legged family member, Ike, who is no longer with us in this life. I looked for joy and beauty in small things like the tag of my Yogi tea bags or the message inside the wrapper of Dove Chocolates. And also the moon and the stars, and the sunrises and sunsets. And flowers and trees, and rocks and flowing water.

Over the past month as I’ve been considering redoing and renewing my blog here, I have kept coming back to ‘finding joy and beauty.’

Finding joy and beauty in this life, in the small things, in the big moments, in the every day and mundane…

Finding Joy and Beauty Along the Way

Beauty can be so many things. It doesn’t always have to be pleasing to the eye, the way we typically describe beauty in good looks. Beauty can be worn and polished, scratched, smudged, wrinkled, mended, healed, scarred.

And Joy. My middle name, seriously. I’ve wanted or considered using my middle name in this blog for a long time. It’s one of those unique words that is a name, and also a noun (delight, gaiety, bliss) or a verb (to experience great pleasure or delight as in rejoice). And other forms of the word are adjective and adverbs – joyful, joyless, or joyfully, joylessly. And it’s me, my name. I have to admit, I don’t always act or feel joyful, full of joy. But I am becoming aware and looking for the joy and beauty with more intention than ever before.

So, in redoing and renewing this blog, I’ve also been considering words associated with the journey. The journey of life. This experience we are having during our lifetime. I landed on Joy Trekker, finding joy and beauty along the way. It rings. I’m a traveler, on the same journey as everyone else. But I have a collection of maps and souvenirs, my observations, lessons, rules, guidelines, and knowledge, that might be slightly different than someone else’s.

Just like 2 people can walk through a museum or go to a park and not notice or see the same things the other person saw.

So this blog, Kim Philpot :: Joy Trekker – Finding Joy and Beauty Along the Way is my travel journal, my collection of maps and souvenirs and trinkets. It is the central storehouse for my observations, lessons, rules, nuggets, guidelines, knowledge, and truths where I have found joy and beauty in my trek, my journey of life.

Thanks for being here. I mean that.

Other words I have considered that just didn’t seem to fit: caravan chase course crossing crusade expedition exploration hike hunt inquiry investigation jaunt odyssey passage probe pilgrimage roaming safari saunter stroll tour tramp traverse trip visit voyage walkabout wandering wayfaring soul beautiful joy joyful nature living well highest living journey quest adventure venture pursuit mission trek