by Rico Trebeljahr

Morning Meditation

Noticing Beauty in the World

It's September now in Berlin, and it starts to get cold. The fields are still green and damp from the cold night. But the sun has retained its energy from the summer. When it comes out it evaporates the dew over the fields and meadows. Clouds are moving over the sky.

The sky is a fresh, cold blue, dotted with small puffs of white. Leaves rustle, and some bird flies overheads. Nature is taking its course. Soon the first leaves will fall. But not now. Flowers blossom on the meadows and apple trees shine forth with their fruit.

And I walk. Today it is a longer tour, around the meadow with the horses near the place where I am living. For me walking means listening to music. And sometimes, just sometimes, the music matches the serenity of the moment.

It's just warm enough to not wear a jacket but just cold enough that the air and wind bite a little bit into the outside of the skin. The cold wind tickles me. But I smile. Smile and listen to the music, enjoying the sun. Enjoy, just walking. No destination in mind, a big loop. Just like life.

I notice, for the first time, in a long time, how much I appreciate this landscape, and how much, even though it's green and blossoming, it's been shaped by humans. This would have been forest if it were not for us.

My mind drifts, in and out of thoughts of all kinds. What I am going to do today, what I did yesterday, that I should really write an article about how a muscle works, that I don't have enough time to do this, or do that, that I should move my website content from ricotrebeljahr.com over here.

But, after some time walking, the more I get into nature and out of the city – It stops. My mind turns silent.

I am just there. Absorbed in the music – in the moment. Whistling and humming along to the slow and ethereal sounds of the Minecraft and Outer Wilds Soundtracks. I am looking at the way the sun gathers in the small droplets of water, that are still on the leaves of the plants. Look at the glow of the white flowers in the meadow and at the subtle ways the whole field moves in the wind. And at how the trees rustle their leaves and the clouds move.

And I am glowing from inside. I am happy with that moment. Content. At peace.

But, in the end. I have to go home. I am not sad, that this moment ended. On the contrary, home is warm and greets me. It's just a change in scenery. I picked some apples along the way, my stomach is starting to growl. Hunger, the most primary of feelings. I am going to sit and dwell on it for a little bit, before giving in.

Because I have work to do. Work that amounts to play. Writing and coding. Flowing in and out of activities for the day.

There is one thing I keep though – the music on my headphones. A reminder.