It was another one of those beautiful mornings where it didn't dampen my mood one bit that I had to make my way to work that day. On the contrary, I even got up a little earlier than usual as I knew in advance that the sun would be shining today and a blue sky would be waiting for me outside.
This day in the middle of fall started just right and I wanted to take advantage of this beautiful morning and make a few stops on my way to the office. It's actually good for all of us when we're not in such a hurry and can take our time on our commutes. And the best way to use this time is to do something good for yourself.
And this day was just perfect for that. It was still a little chilly at this time of day, but the sun shining from the bright blue sky still managed to warm me up a little and just its presence put me in a good mood.
And this good mood accompanied me the whole time I was on the road. As I said, my destination was my workplace, but the thought of it didn't seem to bother me at all that morning. I simply got going and let myself be guided a little by my spontaneous side, which had taken me to places that were really good for me so many times before.
My plan was actually different, but as I said, I was happy to give in to my spontaneous side that morning and stopped off at the large shrine in the middle of the city. I wanted to treat myself to a short walk around the grounds to gain a little strength and energy for the tasks ahead of me.
I was greeted by a very inspiring morning fall atmosphere, and I knew immediately that this first spontaneous stop had been just the right idea. Of course, time was a little pressing as I was on my way to work, and my extra time window was unfortunately not infinite.
But I still wanted to have a look around and walked a little on the paths that were already well-known to me. The shrine was still very quiet at this time of the day and I was one of the few visitors who came by. But that was exactly what I wanted to find, and the whole site seemed almost untouched at this early hour.
Everything here seemed so pure at that moment and radiated an even more captivating atmosphere than usual. I would have loved to sit down here and there and enjoy the whole atmosphere in peace. But perhaps it was this gentle time pressure that I felt during my quick round that made the whole experience so intense.
Some familiar sights seemed surprisingly fresh and new to me, some things must have been changed here recently. Not much, but enough to make me take a closer look. And I was simply happy about what I saw and felt a very pleasant, exciting feeling that kept building up inside me.
Like usual, I took photos, which has probably become one of my biggest hobbies. I probably really want to document what I see and experience, especially the moments when I seem to feel good. I've actually photographed some scenes several times by now, and I can't rule out the possibility that I won't do it again in the future.
Like here with this dragon perched by this water basin. At least the flowers change, which are regularly rearranged here, but they are always beautiful and a real eye-catcher. This time they went for a deep red and purple, and I applaude their choice of color.
Outside the shrine, the city breathed and I knew I had to slowly get back on my way. Inside the areal, everything seemed like a secluded oasis, but this powerful place had inspired and motivated me a great deal and I was ready to tackle the day ahead.
My route also took me along the sea that day and I can't imagine a better way to work. A view of the big water is like breathing air for me and I am only too happy to take every opportunity I get to stop here and feel the great freedom. This morning, this freedom was very evident and I tried to store this feeling inside me. It often seems to work quite well, especially as I know that I'll be passing by here again soon, perhaps even on the way back.
In the end, time was running a little short, but I still decided to take one last detour and drive past a small harbor that is very close to where I work, but where I hadn't made it yet. Well, perhaps there wasn't much to see here in the end, at least not for most other people. But I was still in a good mood and still felt the excitement that had accompanied me the whole trip so far. And that's why I was still simply happy about everything I got to see. And why this little boat prompted me to stop once more and take one last photo.
Shortly afterwards, my trip was over and the duty of the day began. But I was now perfectly attuned and prepared for this duty and the smile that appeared on my face was the best proof of this. And this smile had lasted for a long time and is now showing again as I write these lines here.
I should probably do the whole thing again soon, even if the weather doesn't quite play along like it did that day. But that's not important, I know exactly what really matters...
