The Blue Ridge Parkway... motivated to move more intentionally!

 

Over the past two years we have hiked in the Black Hills of South Dakota, in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, along the Olympic Peninsula of Washington, down the Oregon Coast, through the Redwood Forests of California, and the Arches of Utah.   And these are just of few of the many and diverse terrains we have had the pleasure to traverse!  

Sometimes recognition of shifts comes slowly. For us, it was after we made our way from Nashville TN to Ashville NC via the Smoky Mountains & The Blue Ridge Parkway that we realized we truly have evolved into a new paradigm of living, a cultural shift from sedentary couch potatoes to a vibe of living on the move, literally and figuratively.  Recently, we were watching a documentary about the Blue Zones which studied the lifestyle habits of the World’s Healthiest, Longest-Lived People and what they had in common.  The researcher, Dan Buettner had identified nine characteristics that they all shared.  One of those core commonalities is that centurions all move, everyday, in a very active, yet varied way.  Blue Zones Power 9    Move Naturally... "The world’s longest-lived people don’t pump iron, run marathons or join gyms. Instead, they live in environments that constantly nudge them into moving without thinking about it." 

We discovered that our nomadic lifestyle incorporates a fair amount of natural movement - 'cause if we want to see the sites along our journey - in many situations, we gotta move it!  No need to attend the gym, just walk those trails and climb them stairs!  Though we haven't mastered all nine of the concepts, our core values acronym "GRAVICO" (Traversing the road less traveled: Gratefully, Vibrantly & Courageously) reminds us to constantly appreciate what we have, maintain a healthy perspective, and push ourselves  into new environments.  

It has provided a more purposeful life that keeps us motivated to explore new ways of living as we get nearer to the fourth quarter of life. Afterall, we still got a lot more sites and insights waiting for us on the horizon!