Where is Your Place?

Finishing up my summer musings on the ocean today.

I always feel the most centered and the most “myself” whenever I am within earshot of the ocean. There’s something about the persistence of the waves and the salty smell that calms me, inspires me, and reminds me that most of my worries are not that big. I find beauty in the outdoors wherever I am, mountains, river, lake, open fields, forest, or coast, but I connect with the ocean. I have a feeling that everyone has a place that connects with their soul.

My happy place at home, Kindle in hand

This isn’t to say I’m not comfortable at home. In fact, sitting on my back patio, under the fan with the kids screaming and jumping in the pool, the dog nudging my arm for a pat, and hearing the chickens squawk and the neighbor’s horse whinny is my ideal everyday spot to relax. But there’s just something awe-inspiring that opens another part of me when I am near the ocean, and nowhere else.

I tend to be able to let my mind wander and release the mundane worries and to-do lists that really don’t matter. I’m reminded of the vastness of the earth, as well as the importance of small things as I see a tiny crab scuttle just out of the grasp of a hungry gull. I find beauty in all nature and outdoor settings, but I don’t get the same visceral effect at a beautiful lake or on a mountain hike. There are many people who consider their place to be the mountains, and I can absolutely respect this sentiment, but I don’t relate - give me the ocean and my moving mountains of the waves!

At the end of the day, we all need to know what it is that reaches into the deepest part of our being and connects us to the earth, as well as lets us take a step away from life. I aspire to one day be the crazy old lady who wanders the shoreline wearing a big floppy hat, gives seashells as gifts, and has too much sand scattered all over her house. The wind, waves, and seabirds are my preferred music and I love the muted blues, greens, and earth tones that make up the coastal palette.

Embracing the "crazy beach lady" role

Find your place and own it. It may be vague like the ocean or the forest, or as specific as a mountain overlook with a big cedar tree and a pile of three large rocks. Embrace it and use it to free yourself from the stress and worry of daily life.