Sometimes I look out from my window and imagine the bland grey parking lot is the ocean. I imagine the smell of the ocean so close to me. Permeating my home, my clothes, my mind. There’s something about the ocean I can’t quite explain. When you’re near it it’s almost like you’re on another planet. When you put your toes in, you’re connected to each different continent.
Then there are the mountains. The ones I imagine are also outside my window. With my imagination I can transform rooftops into mountain ranges and chimneys into vast, healthy trees. I miss the mountains so much I create them in my mind. I miss the ability to be able to drive for an hour and be so far into the wilderness I won’t see another human until I drive an hour back.
If I had the choice of being near the ocean or the mountains, the mountains would win every time. When I’m near towering, humbling trees I feel connected to the earth. When I’m climbing a mountain I feel like I am going to reach heaven. When I am trekking upon a trail, surrounded by the knowing unknown I feel grounded…and dare I say, happy?
