Friday Five #6

What are your favorite ways to relax and unwind?

Typically, I'll go off and find a place to be alone and enjoy nature and the sun. That often means a walk up to one of the docks on the Charles River, where I'll sit in the sun and watch the water. Or a bike ride down to the Arnold Arboretum's "Conifer Path", where I have a particular spot where I'll sit and enjoy the pine meadow and the hillside beneath me. Or, if I want to ride further afield, down to Castle Island, where a radio tower is on a tiny island out in Boston Harbor, connected to the mainland by a long, narrow causeway. But regardless of where, what's important is the quiet contemplation and sense of appreciation that it fosters.
 

What do you do the moment you get home from work/school/errands?

Well, I guess the only thing I reliably do upon getting home is check the cat, AIM, and email.
 

What are your favorite aromatherapeutic smells?

In case you didn't read my 8/14 post "Heaven on the Seventh Floor", I don't like most smells, and I particularly hate manufactured smells. One of the few odors that I enjoy is the smell of an evergreen forest on a summer day, experienced first-person.
 

Do you feel more relaxed with a group of friends or hanging out by yourself?

If you want relaxed, then definitely alone. Being with a very small group of close friends can be energizing and exciting, but it's not often 'relaxing'.
 

What is something that you feel is relaxing but most people don't?

First: drumming. I find both hand and kit drumming to be a good emotional release. Second: the city. I derive energy from urban areas: all the interesting people to watch, the beautiful architecture, the energy of youth (particularly here in college-oriented Boston), the vibrancy of a thriving arts community, plenty of nightlife, lots of like-minded people, and it all within walking distance of my own private enclave of peace and quiet.