In March, Barton and I travelled to San Francisco, as I was attending ORSC (Organizational Relationship Systems Coaching) training. Our flights were tight, and we had planned one morning for play.

Our time was already full with my training, Barton hosting a workshop for The Co-Active Training Institute, and dinner with a friends before leaving. At dinner, we asked, what would you do if you had a morning in San Francisco?

There were the traditional tourist stops.

But we were looking for something different, an experience.

And then our friends mentioned the Japanese Tea Garden and Botanical Gardens, so we caught a ride, bringing bags and all with us. This was not easy feat with Barton in his manual chair, but we were up for anything.

When we arrived, we realized that the cherry blossoms had just burst opened, the sun was fully shining, and we experienced the most divine beauty all around us. We spent the day meandering through paths, winding around cherry blossoms, camellias, and redwoods.

When we felt completed, we stopped at the Tea House for green tea and rice cookies. And of course picked up Pocky sticks from the gift shop.

The heat of the day was getting to us, so we left to go find a place for lunch. Next door, there was a chocolate exhibit going on, we hopped in line but then decided it was too much with too many people. Instead, we chugged up a hill to a sandwich shop. Sitting on the patio, enjoying the sunflowers and watching people walk by as we refueled.

We made our way back to the Botanical Gardens.

For a while, we walked through the trails full of bamboo, aloe, succulents, and redwoods. Memorized by the black-crowned Night-Herron hunting in a lily pond. Sitting for what seemed like hours watching the blue heron behind a rock, full of sunning turtles. We were amazed at the immersion into beauty.

Our souls unfolded.

There wasn’t only one path not taken, but many. We were in an adventure just seeing where the path took us and what we would find there. There were not expectations, no hurriedness, no stress. Just being fully in the moment.

We were reminded:
Take a Lesson from Spring –
Say it with Flowers.

Before leaving, we sat on the grass watching families have picnic, groups walking by, bubbles taking lift in the air, floating by. There was so much space, air to breath. Time barely drifted by.

Eventually, we caught a ride to the airport and took off for home, lavishing in the experience.