Inspiration From our Editor

New Paths

I’ve been in a rut lately.

I open the fridge and stare inside, but the usual staples don’t seem appetizing. I do the same thing in my closet. My house feels stuffy and cluttered with some remnant winter decorations hanging around and piles of papers and muddy shoes.

I need some inspiration. I wonder if you do, too. After all, it’s hard to break out of our patterns and routines. Our brains are wired for habit, efficiently forming neural pathways that reinforce the way we’ve always done something. While we need and thrive on routines, we also need to break our wheels out of well-worn tracks, encouraging our brains to form new paths, more meaningful methods, and healthier highways. When things become stale, we need fresh air.

Spring is coming right on time.

We invite you to breathe in inspiration on each page of this issue. Need a change of scenery? Find a beautiful destination for a trip (p.8). Want to organize a problematic space in your home? Read tips from a professional organizer (p.42). Inspire joy for a caregiver by paying them an encouraging visit (p.56), or step into the imaginative world of virtual reality (p.50). Plus, find inspiration in the grandest event our city has to offer: the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby (p.20 and p.46).

Here’s to fresh thinking and forging new paths this season. — Jessica Alyea