Imagine you’re surrounded by the beauty of tall pines, feeling the softness of a thick blanket of pine needles below and smelling pine sap all around. There’s an owl screeching off in the distance and the rhythmic sound of waves fills your body and soul. Cell phones and computers don’t exist and the air is so clean it’s almost neon blue.
This past summer I spent eight magical days on a private island with my dog, Java, and my sweetheart. Words can’t describe the elation I felt when I first stepped onto the dock and unleashed my dog. Java has concerns around other dogs, so this gift of an island getaway was not only my birthday gift from my beloved, but also our gift to Java.
Waking up to the sounds of silence and the laughter of nature, we opened the cabin door each morning to explore the island together from a place of freedom, adventure, love and discovery. A large boulder nestled underneath a pine bough offered shade and secrecy, as well as a front row seat to the lake shore – a perfect romantic hideaway for a couple of introverts.
Presence became a way of living in all that we did whether we were romping in the woods, kayaking, cooking, dancing, playing or creating. Love abounded as the three of us unwound our city lives into the depths of Mother Nature.
As I returned to the city, I brought back with me a new sense of freedom, confidence and groundedness. Java came back with the smell of fish and pinesap on her coat and a new experience in her body, and my sweetheart and I returned with a deeper connection with Spirit, one another and ourselves.
Race ya’ to the tire swing!
My bags are packed. When do we leave?