Don't get us wrong, we love what we do but sometimes working in a printshop all day while the sun is shining can be just straight up detrimental to our mental state. Luckily working in a place that understands that (with like minded people) we have some options to get over the midday slump.
A reviving break can take many forms for us here. A quick adventure out to get lunch (almost always San Jose). A quick bike ride to clear the mind (Kent trails anyone?). Taking a loop around Pickerel Lake in the winter on our CC skis. Other times it means an impromptu canoe trip down the Grand River in the middle of the day to shoot some photos of new product. Those breaks tend to end up being pretty memorable.
Having any kind of wilderness like we have right at our fingertips so close to downtown Grand Rapids should be celebrated. What a unique place we get to call home. We set off from our shop on South Division and within 15 minutes we were unloading at a boat dock on the river, sun shining, not a soul around. Instantly we were put at ease. Light gently flicking off the water, we set off and paddled upstream for a bit in silence, just enjoying where we were. Taking in all the beauty that is hidden in plain site so near to the hustle and bustle of our daily lives in the city.
We floated, we talked, we took a bunch of photos and for a brief instant we just were. Not in the larger existential sense, but in a much smaller here and now sense. Nothing on our minds and joy in our hearts we floated downstream. Now that is what I call a Tuesday.