PBW: A Happy Place

Travel back with me, if you please. We're not going very far, just before accidental renaissance fairs and Japanese Stroll Gardens. The year was 2006, and the date was September 4th, Labor Day. The weather was perfect; too perfect to stay indoors on a day off. My wanderlust got the better of me, and after some virtual exploration via Google™ Maps, I set off in the general direction of small, quiet beaches tucked away at the ends of roads I'd never driven on. Some turned out to be private, others looked far more appealing from the satellite view, and still others were simply too crowded. By the time I was lost, I'd found a small park, hidden where unknown roads converged, near a bridge and the smallest of beaches hidden below street level. In a quiet place I found respite, to lie on a park bench and start a good book, pausing to look up at the sky through the leaves overhead, or soak in the atmosphere of calling birds and people fishing in the distance. Of course I had my camera with me, so when I needed to stretch, I walked around to document my surroundings for a future Photo Blog Wednesday.

That was then, and I'll share it now:



















In case anyone is wondering, I did eventually leave and find my way home, guided by the same inner compass that led me out there to begin with. Someday, years from now, I might wander so far that I never return. Then I'll just become a nomad, helping people wherever I may roam on my motorcycle, because a motorcycle is cooler in that fantasy. Until then, I’ll store a happy place like this one in my brain, so I can visit any time I close my eyes.