Yesterday was another beautiful day and we took advantage of it.  When I saw the clear sky, I wanted to go outside ASAP.  We went to the same park as last week.  There were fewer people and significantly more families with children than people with dogs.  Last week, it was the reverse.  Hmm, go figure.

After about an hour, we stopped at an overlook and I found a dry spot, which happened to be on some wood chips, and lay on the ground.  It felt so good to lie on the earth.  I felt fatigue leaving my body and go into the earth.  I also felt something rising out of me.  Polina took her shoes and socks off, which she hadn’t done in a long time because it had been cold.  I suggested to my husband that he lie down since he was yawning up a storm and doesn’t sleep well.

“No,” he said.

“It feels really good.  Trust me, you’ll feel better.”

He gave me a skeptical look and said, “No, I don’t want to get wood chips on my clothes.”

“I’ll brush them off.”

“No.”

“You tell me you don’t sleep well.  Trust me, you’ll feel so much better,” I persisted.

He finally offered to lie on the rock he was sitting on.  A minute later, he was asleep.  On a rock.  I  reluctantly woke him after about an hour because I had to leave for an appointment.

On our way out we touched the budding camelias.  They were covered by a fuzzy shell.  We felt at peace noticing these things and communing with nature.  It lifted my spirits.  I felt emotionally and spiritually cleansed and ready for the coming week.

I traveled around Europe in my twenties and lived abroad for four years.  I saw world class architecture, museums, and ate delicious food.  But my spirit soars when I am in nature.  My choice of vacation is camping.  $20 bucks a night to reserve a plot with million dollar views.  It’s the most intense happiness I’ve ever felt, and I’m so thankful for these experiences.