I visited an old haunt of mine today. 

I needed a reminder of my heart, my home.

My center.

As I hit the trail, the smell of warm, dry grass and pine needles soothed my heart. I was home.

The wind wrapped around me, fiercely, like a warm, comforting blanket.

The grass cracked under my feet as I climbed up a mound--one of many little cairn-like mounds found all over this part of the Gorge. I sat, wrote, watched.

Breathed deep.

Things I remembered out there:

City life makes me feel crazy

All I ever need is myself and the elements

None of it really matters

Remember to keep an eye out for rattlesnakes

How to walk on shale (just like riding a bike)

Things I forgot:

Sunscreen

Bug Spray

Tecnu

The jerks, the betrayals, the negativity, the losses (for a little bit, anyway).