The Places We Run To

Sometimes the greatest days aren't the days we make memories, they are the days we have to waste. The days where we have no commitments, no lunches to get to, no washing to get done - the days where I can just be a girl walking a dog in a forest, or across a beach, or taking a swim in the wide open sea. The days where our identity and troubles leave us and we just become a soul in a body, surrounded by nothing but nature. The days where I can sit and stare and contemplate nothing but how I am feeling in that exact moment - where I'm not worrying about what is to come or what has been done. Living in the moment isn't always the easiest or the right thing to do, but in order to stay sane in this messed up world, it's necessary. 

Spending time alone is the closest thing we can get to pressing pause, to be left alone is to find comfort and clarity in our own minds, to breathe in air that is only ours. 

My instinct is often the need to retreat when things get heavy, and I find solace in three places, the forest, the coast and the open road. I like to get to higher ground, to feel like I'm physically on top of everything that could possibly be weighing down on me - that might sound stupid but for me it works. 

In the forest, it's the stillness that speaks to me, with nothing but the occasional bristling of branches with a passing breeze, or the busy twitter of unseen birds. The density of the trees blocks out all the noise of life and lets in what we need most - rays of sunlight, hope shining down on us in the purest form. 

The coast, however, gives me everything. It gives me chaos when I feel angry, crashing tides and howling winds to contend with my rage. It gives me the serene sunrise on the still horizon when I am content, it gives me crystal clear waters to bathe in when I need clarity. The relationship I have with the ocean is eternal - it will forever be where i run to in order to seek sanity. It leaves me with salt on my skin and balance in my mind. 

Finally, the open road for obvious reasons - it is endless and I'm (usually) concentrating on driving rather than getting distracted by petty worries. On the road you can go anywhere, you could be anyone, you can just keep going. As long as you have gas in the tank (*and a half decent car*) the escape never needs to stop. 

The places we run to could be anywhere, but they are important.