When I was young, each year our school made a trip to an outdoor education center an hour and a half north.
We stayed for three days and two nights. Our days were filled with endless hikes and animal encounters. Our evenings were spent in bunk beds, giggling ourselves to sleep.
It was in this place that I discovered the pine forest. It was a forest that was older than I could fathom, with trees as tall as buildings. The counselor had us all lie on our backs, eyes pointed toward the sky. There we remained, in silence, for what seemed like an eternity. It was the moment in my life where I discovered that, for me, peace and calm comes from simply taking a moment to reflect on the humbling majesty of what simply lay at my feet. I just had to remember to stop, look up, and breathe.
Today I returned to that same place, with my oldest and her friends. I smiled as I watched their nervous eyes peek through the windows.
Welcome.
