Hello friends and family! We’ve just returned from a nice trip to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. Being there made me even more aware of the immense beauty that this country has to offer. Here are a few photos from the trip:

The view from our cabin. Not too shabby.

The payoff of a “family friendly” (read grueling) hike up Laurel Falls trail.

One of the many black bears we saw on the trip. There are about 7000 of these amazing creatures in Tennessee.

One of the best parts of trip was watching the kids play in a shallow creek we found while on a hike. They loved exploring; looking for crayfish or tadpoles, feeling the slippery moss-covered rocks, and dipping their toes in the cool water. Time drifted by but their excitement and enthusiasm for just being in the creek never seemed to waver.

I serendipitously came across the writing of a farmer named Thomas Mitchell who lived near the turn of the century (h/t James Clear’s 3-2-1 newsletter). Here is a quote from his collection Essays on Life:

People are always looking for happiness at some future time and in some new thing, or some new set of circumstances, in possession of which they some day expect to find themselves. But the fact is, if happiness is not found now, where we are, and as we are, there is little chance of it ever being found. There is a great deal more happiness around us day by day than we have the sense or power to seek and find.

I’ve been guilty of looking ahead to the next thing and believing that it would unlock some sort of better life. A new job or business. A new tool or toy. A new skill or hobby. The image of the kids playing in the creek is a great reminder: don’t chase satisfaction from something just out of your reach. Stay connected, content, and curious.

Luke Learns

Summer Grab Bag: Up A Creek