I want to start a series of posts about things that I’m thankful for. These won’t be things that I go around and look for. Instead, it will be more like me choosing to elaborate on things that I suddenly realize. All too often, we overlook and disregard the little (and sometimes big) things in our lives that we should be grateful for. This series is my attempt to celebrate my own gratefulness and maybe inspire others to see and acknowledge things to be thankful for in their own lives.

That being said, today I am thankful for my backyard. The past few months have been a tad stressful, and I often find solace in sitting on our patio and listening to the sounds around me. I’m learning that I really love to be outdoors and get an astonishing amount of peace and relaxation from it.

I’ve noticed over the past several years, that when I get upset, stressed, or even angry, I immediately want to go for a walk. I never put much thought into that tendency until recently. Turns out, just being outside in the sunshine for a few minutes each day has a dramatic improvement on my mood and mental state.

So why I am thankful for my backyard? It’s certainly not the tidiest, largest, or nicest yard in town. As a matter of fact, my husband cringes at the greenery overload that came from neglect over the years. (We are renting, and the owner of the home hasn’t focused much on landscaping.) However, there’s something that I can’t help but love about the privacy the overgrown greenery adds. Regardless of the state of the landscaping, I’m thankful for this space because it’s the first time in years that I’ve had an outdoor space to revert to. It’s a nice, private area where my neighbors aren’t in clear sight. We have comfy patio furniture with new cushions that I love. The patio area is easily accessible, and I can walk out in my (or Matt’s) slippers. Even if some of the trees are covered in vines…everything is green, vibrant, and inspiring.

Our backyard is a place where I can go and wind down. A place where I can sit and write or read. A place where I did a lot of studying for my real estate exam. It’s a place where I can relax and think about who I want to be and what I want to become.

So today, I am thankful for this space….our perfectly imperfect backyard.

If you have an outdoor space, I encourage you to get out and enjoy it. Multiple studies show that spending time outdoors can dramatically improve not only your mental state, but your physical health as well. Let’s all enjoy this beautiful world around us!

What do you have to be thankful for? Leave me a comment and let me know!