Natural Detroit:: 1

The New Year gets you thinking, you know. Since moving to Detroit, I haven't been feeling quite like me. And, honestly as a result, this blog hasn't been feeling quite like me. I've been busy so I didn't have much time or energy to figure out what was a little off. Then the other week while couch ridden from a long drawn out cold, I stumbled across this lovely blog called Resurrection Fern and I realized clear as the sky what was missing from this space.

I settled on the name wanderCRAFT because while posting to my first blog (which I started over six years ago - gak!), I gravitated towards crafts, nature, and things I stumbled on when I'm out wandering or traveling. That combination felt like me. Since moving to Detroit, I haven't felt the same inspiration to photograph and it made blogging not quite as fun. The spark was gone. I was okay with the lapsed inspiration as we settled in, but as three months turned to four then five, this gap kept nagging at me more.

After stepping back, I finally owned up to what I think was holding me back. I'm not inspired to photograph abandoned factories and derelict urban scenes but I admit they abound. Others are capturing that side of this place very well and I'm fascinated by what they see through the lens, but it's not my muse. My calling is to find nature again, even in this very urban place. That's what makes me feel whole. In Boston it was pretty easy to escape to the woods or the ocean or even the mountains, but here I'm going to have to try a little harder to seek out new places. Finding my connection to nature here is part of this place feeling like home.

Sunday I was still sniffling and coughing from this terribly drawn out cold but I insisted we take off for an hour to a park not too far outside of the city. You see, this weekend we were scheduled to drive several hours up north for what I'm sure was a wonderful celebration of one of my closest friend's parents' 40th wedding anniversary. Compared to where we're living, they live in the wilderness. Stars. Woods. A river that does not have a casino on its shores. My heart broke at not having the energy or health to get away.

Sunday, before the sun made its departure for the evening, this walk was the best remedy. When we stepped out onto frozen Lake St. Claire, I felt a little bit like Maria when she stepped out onto the mountaintop.

I need to find more and soak it in. My one little word for 2011 is 'stretch' and part of my challenge is to stretch my boundaries. Over the last five months I've managed to cocoon myself into this little comfy nook and routine in the city where I don't often stray. I really love it here. But I need to get out too.

Here's to finding myself outside in 2011. Stretching myself up to the wide open sky.