Winter Walks in Maine: What the Woods Teach Me About Slowing Down
There’s a place in Orono where the trees seem to lean in a little closer during winter—where the trail bends just enough to make you feel like you’ve slipped into a quiet pocket of the world. I’ve walked these woods in every season, but winter has a way of softening everything: the ground, the sky, even my thoughts. When the first snow settles and the air sharpens, I’m reminded, again, why walking in the Maine woods feels like a form of therapy.
I never go with a big intention. Most days, I just need a breath. A pause. A way to reset the noise that builds from juggling motherhood, writing deadlines and running a small business. But winter has its own agenda: it slows you down whether you want it to or not.
The trail near the Stillwater is where I feel this most. The moment my boots hit the frozen path, something shifts. The crunch of the snow becomes its own soundtrack, steadier than any meditation app. Each breath unfurls in front of me in little clouds, marking time. This, I always think, is what mindfulness looks like when it’s lived instead of practiced—when it’s found accidentally in the middle of an ordinary day.
I stop often. Sometimes to watch the river steam where the water refuses to freeze. Sometimes to acknowledge the delicate animal tracks that cross the path. Sometimes just because my body tells me to. The cold asks you to pay attention, and I try my best to listen.
There’s a particular bend in the trail where the branches form an arch overhead, brushing against each other with every gust of wind. I linger here the longest. It reminds me that even in a season that looks still, life is happening quietly—roots digging deeper, sap moving slowly, the forest preparing for whatever comes next. It’s a lesson I keep resisting but keep returning to: slowing down isn’t the same as stopping. Rest isn’t a retreat; it’s preparation.
As a writer, my creative process mirrors these winter walks more than I ever realized. Ideas rarely arrive fully formed. They start as small footprints, as shadows, as a feeling in the air I can’t quite name. I follow them slowly, letting them wander, trusting they’ll lead me wherever I need to land. Even on days when the words come out jumbled, or not at all, the act of showing up—like stepping into the woods—matters more than the pace.
Running The Good Is Now has only deepened this truth. Every time I design a new sweatshirt, or write a poem, or press a shirt in my studio, I hear the echo of these trails reminding me to stay rooted in what feels good and meaningful. What feels like me. Not rushed. Not forced.
Winter reflection tends to make me sentimental, but maybe that’s why I appreciate this season, despite its windchill. It strips everything down to the essentials. The trees let go. The sky clears out. The world shrinks to a manageable quiet. It becomes easier to hear what’s actually mine: my voice, my pace, my intuition.
If you find yourself in Maine this season, consider finding a trail. You don’t need a plan. Just step onto a snowy path and let the woods do what they do best—hold you, slow you, remind you of what you’ve forgotten.
And if you’re moving through a busy season, or a heavy one, or one where everything feels too loud, know this: slowing down is its own kind of momentum. Winter in Maine teaches me this. The woods teach me this. And somehow, every time I return to the trail, I learn something new.
The Good Roundup
Where I Went on My Latest Walk: Piney Knoll Conservation Area at the end of Colburn Drive, in Orono. It started snowing at the end, which made the stroll extra magical.
A Little Thing I’m Loving: Self-reiki. (Perhaps something you did not know about me, but I am a trained reiki master)
Where I’m Finding the Poetry Lately: Going with the flow. Embracing all parts of me. Not stressing, but trusting.
What I’m Reading: As you can maybe guess from the previous, I’m on a poetry kick. Right now it’s Kate Baer’s latest release HOW ABOUT NOW - it’s not my favorite collection by her, but I’m enjoying it. (My favorite is WHAT KIND OF WOMAN)
