I have now been in the USA for a few months with no need to use a passport. Here in San Francisco, I have been noticing the fast pace of people’s speech, and many common dialogues. The themes revolve around exactly what I have observed; that our lives are full, things are expensive, and people want more time. I firmly believe that it is important to sometimes take a “mental health day”, to slow down and escape. My students and colleagues are longing for the Thanksgiving holiday, but that typically involves more driving, shopping and a lot of work. But it is also a great time to get wonderful food: kiwis, persimmons and squashes are all bountiful, and there are plenty of vegan recipes to explore.

I avoid the news. Is it irresponsible these days to not be a follower of the many news outlets? The newspapers, television, internet, Facebook, blogs, Huffington Post, CNN, Al Jazeera, KPFA radio, Dagens Nyheter, Delfi… It can be overwhelming, and at this point, my understanding is that all these sound bytes stimulate the brain with short-term bursts of serotonin, which is why people want more. But then these companies profit from our non-addictive addictions. Our nanomolar brain chemicals are steering the course of the planet. The world is large and at the same time very small, but only a very small portion of the important events make it into the news. Who is to judge what is important? Would this all have been important 50 years ago, when we didn’t have immediate access to information? On the other hand, to be an aware citizen, and to interact with people in the community, we often need common experiences for human conversations. By avoiding the news, am I drifting into isolation? By writing this blog am I contributing to someone’s internet addiction?

The nature of California is calling me; the redwood trees and the powerful waves of the autumn ocean. The evenings are longer and the temperatures are lower. I often think of the indigenous peoples of California, and how they must have had tremendously developed ways to describe nature. Who knows, they may have had 20 different words describing different aspects of redwood trees. Imagine when redwood trees were the tallest things on the planet. Now we have skyscrapers; both are awe-inspiring. I will go out and do some exploring and take some California nature time this Thanksgiving.