By Heidi Weaver
“Scenic Route.” Do you ever see those signs on the side of the highway and think to yourself, “I wonder where that road goes? I wish I had time to take the off ramp and find out. How fun and exciting would that be?” Time being the ultimate luxury, I can count on very few fingers the times in my life when I have spontaneously changed course and taken the scenic route. Recently though I have discovered that it only takes a couple of minutes to incorporate “scenic routes” into my day and in so doing to add a lot of sensory enjoyment to my workaday life.
Take for instance the well-trodden route from the underground parking garage to my office building. I used to park my car on P1 and then automatically head for a door that led to a dank, interior stairwell. After climbing a few stained, cement flights of stairs, I would open a heavy, industrial door that finally led outside onto the sidewalk. From there, the entrance to my building was a short distance away. That daily trek from my car to the office was about as scenic as an underground parking garage staircase and was not exactly pleasurable.
But recently I changed things up, and instead of heading out through the parking garage staircase, I walk out of my way a little to a door that opens directly outside. The path I take to get to my office building is then slightly longer as I must walk around the corner of the building and up one and a half city blocks. But I get to be outside and enjoy the purple blossoms on the jacaranda trees, the morning sunshine ascending over Cortez Hill, a slight increase in my heartbeat as I walk up the hill, the friendly nods of people on the street, and some fresh air. It’s the scenic route, but it only takes a minute.
Then there is the path I take from my office to the bathroom; a familiar path for the office worker. I used to turn left out of my office and putter down a hall, through a lobby, down another hall, and there I was. But one day an imaginary “Scenic Route” sign must have appeared, because instead of turning left out of my office, I turned right, went through a couple of doors, and emerged outside into the sunlight on my historic work building’s iconic balcony. Glass doors lead off the balcony to the restrooms. I don’t get outside much during the day, so these al fresco moments with views to the west of the County Building and the sparkling bay are essential to my daily wellness routine and make me feel lucky. So even if you only have a minute, I recommend taking a slightly different path than usual and enjoying the scenic route.