I went for a walk in one of the state parks near Raleigh on Sunday morning. It was part of my exploration whose goal is to discover the places that I hope will make me feel at home here. The walk itself offered nothing I hadn’t experienced before—a dirt path meandering through a few miles of woodlands with the furthest point on the loop trail overlooking a small manmade lake. I stopped and watched centipedes, frogs, and other small animals, but the stroll was mainly just me and the trees in the cool morning. Being in nature is refreshing, so much so that doctors in Japan sometimes prescribe forest bathing for stress-induced ailments. That wasn’t the best part of the morning, though. Not this day. This day was about seeing new territory, a new park, a new place.

Exploration and goals are essential. I’m sure that I’ve heard Jordan Peterson talk about the subject, but I have felt it directly. When I’m not pursuing something, everything starts to drift and to drift quickly. To my occasional physical detriment (and to the detriment of those who have traveled with me—just ask my family), I have walked and walked and walked and walked in order to see over one more hill or around one more corner. It is a compulsion, something that gives me life.

The events of the past year and a half curtailed much of my exploration of new places. I also let those events limit my exploration of meaningful ideas. COVID limitations continue to dissipate, and I have been jolted by my move to a new place. I want to throw myself into many new things all at once now that I can do so again, but I also know that there must be balance between exploring the unknown and staying within the familiar. In any event, I’m getting antsy.

I know that many other people have experienced similar versions of a quarantined cabin fever. They may not have felt it as acutely as me, but I have discussed the topic with plenty of others. Do something this week to face this problem head-on. Shake up your routine or try something completely new. Maybe it is a hike on a new trail as I experienced this weekend. Maybe it is a new recipe that you saw on a cooking show you watched last week. Maybe it is a new book to read or film to watch. Maybe it is an airline ticket for a trip next spring that you can start anticipating and planning in the coming months. Whatever exploration means to you, do some exploring this week. You’ll be grateful you did.