Welcome!
Hello world! My name is Katherine - I’m one of those millennials who found a new sense of turning to the simple things of life (mainly during lockdown) and I’m trying (in an increasingly busy world post-pandemic) to turn again and again to noticing and embracing the simple joys. I’ve tried blogs before, but I’ve only recently learned that they aren’t really the best tool for traditional ‘blogging’ anymore, and Substack seems a much better place for writing these days! I’ve always liked the name ‘The Path Unwinding’ because it a) comes directly from “The Circle of Life” in The Lion King - and I’m a huge Disney fan, and b) it reminds me of a spiral, my favourite shape, that mirrors the path we often take through life, circling ever outward as we turn again and again through the years, never quite repeating but often revisiting things in a slightly different way.
Lately I’ve been going through a period of high-stress and high-activity in life, with lots of changes and rushing around. I’m hoping that having a place where I’m committed to regularly posting about the things I’m ‘noticing’ - usually in nature - will help me to take stock and pause, if only for a few minutes each week - to slow things down a bit. I do enjoy writing so I’d like to share those noticings with others in the hopes that perhaps someone might find them helpful - perhaps it will spark your own noticings in the world around you as well. I do come from the Christian tradition, so I often find that the changing seasons can spark a bit of reflection on my spiritual life - you may find some of those musings in my noticings every now and again, though I don’t expect this to be a devotional type resource.
I’d also like to share some of my own efforts at cultivating that slower, more intentional way of living in tune with the seasons through some posts on homemaking and (hopefully) some gardening. Full disclosure - I have no experience with either - my house is usually a wreck (having a large black dog means dog hair and toy fluff is a constant) and, while I have high aspirations of having a wonderful thriving garden, I have no knowledge of how to make it happen. So. If you want a very real take on what trying to grow this sort of life is like, look no further! (Though I’m also hoping to include some reviews of things that I find helpful (read - those who do know what they’re doing) so there will be a bit of diversity.)
So I do hope, if you’ve made it this far, you’ll think of subscribing as we see how this thing goes! I, for one, could use a regular reminder to stop and smell the roses (or embrace the rain blowing onto the windows), so join me as we pause for a few moments to live a bit more slowly and mindfully as we live that path unwinding.