I grew up in the South Bronx, but left at a very young age to go to school in upstate NY. While a lot of my sensibilities are city based, a lot of my teen life was spent out in the Adirondacks.
I remember driving down from Champlain, NY along Lake Champlain near hyperventilating about leaving the area to head down to Poughkeepsie to work at IBM.
I took the job at IBM because I thought it would get me closer to my dream. My dream was to own a little cabin out in the woods. I’ve long wanted to be able to grab my coffee and go out of my house and just be met with trees and silence. Getting out in nature has always calmed me- and I’ve always missed it.
Through the run of everything – trying to get my businesses up and running have taken me very far away from those thoughts of peace. But I always dream of it.
These last few days I’ve spent it hiking in the woods and just letting the brain decompress from all of the static noise that’s in there. I can feel my chest a lot looser. My breathing feels longer and deeper. My brain doesn’t feel like it’s on fire. I can walk and think and get away from my head. That has been such a glorious gift- all while speaking and teaching some amazing students at the Smokies Workshop.
But as I was heading in for Breakfast- I walk in and see this picture that I fell in love with. Here’s a couple- beautiful with one another as they enjoyed their coffee before getting out into the woods.
I want this so bad. I’d love this scene and have it be me. I couldn’t help but take a shot as a reminder.
My totem.
I want to grow old and feel the warmth of a coffee cup while looking out at the trees and the water that I will get to hike into.
This is why I want to try all of this.
She is 72- and still works with her husband as a commercial window washer- his business. We chat about the drive to keep going, and I thank them for being my reminder.
And miles to go before I sleep…
