A nights sleep here is pure bliss. Last year in Chicago, my apartment was flooded with tungsten light from the street. The sirens blasted continuously. I could hear the El train and the Metra–clickity clack down the tracks. And let’s not forget the crazy upstairs neighbor who paced incessantly, who I could hear urinate and let’s not forget his complimentary moan (sorry for the visual). There was so much noise. I felt un calm.
Now, the sun dips fast and the sky turns to black bringing with it the brightest of stars. I hear the elk call. I don’t hear the coyote, strangely enough, because I know they are there, I see them daily. But, most importantly, I hear the waves crash, thunderously, upon the shore. It’s like those sound machines, but it is real. Who gets that?
And the other night, I stood out under the night sky with a handful of travelers and saw a meteor–a fireball hurtling toward the mountainside.
It is a life devoid of distraction. You have an emotion, a thought, a hardship and you ponder it, confront it, be with it. There is no internet browsing to pass the time, there is no TV to enable you to check out of life. What there is is mountains to climb, mushrooms to forage, people to learn from. I have nothing and yet I do not suffer from boredom. The conversations I have with people quickly surpass the level of small talk and jump into a level of honest vulnerability.
I wake early, to the sun rising and the birds sing their morning song. If I don’t have to work, I go climb the mountain, sometimes in the densest fog. It is a truism, exercise makes you happy–and I exercise constantly and I feel a happiness that had not been there in the city.
After I returned from my super connected, roller coaster ride of a weekend in San Francisco, I returned to a 40th anniversary party at work. Our quiet little spot in the national park was filled with people as well as overnight guests. Everyone who works for the non profit organization I work for is really great, we are all connected by a passion for travel and culture. The after party consisted of oysters from the nearby Tomales Bay and freshly foraged oyster mushrooms, oysters on oysters (as A called it).
It is the season for foraging and all of us foraging nerds are finding kinship in exchanging knowledge and hunting together. It really is an amazing thing and I shall write about it soon. This area is lush with edibles and up until now, I have pretty much been on a solo mission in my foraging but here, there are many who love to do it as well.
I had to listen to that inner voice to come out here. It is a small life I choose over a grand one, but the level of joy and happiness is amazing. There are times, I’d like to have more money and buy camera equipment, cute clothes, and furniture but this, this little sanctuary and this bliss is pretty amazing...