Wishing I Could Go

Maybe it is the way that the sun was stubbornly poking through the clouds and trying to burn off the humidity of the night. Maybe it was the still air of the morning, thick with the rains from the day before. Or maybe it was my soul simply creating a stirring deep within that made me want to run. But for whatever reason, this morning created a desire to go.

I get like this sometimes. There is no rhyme or reason to it. No particular season that brings it on stronger than another. But I have a wandering soul that sometimes needs to just get out of this place and go somewhere new. Road trips, camping, whatever. Most of the time, I forfeit my desire to go by simply melting into a place on a canvas or page, knowing that I can go there in my mind. Although it is not the same, it helps tame the urge. Temporarily.

Right now, I would love to go somewhere like Colorado or Washington. I love the mountains. The way they loom over the landscape, creating a sense of serenity and inspiring power. I love the way a mountain stream feeds into a lake or river. The water is some of the coolest, freshest and most beautiful that has ever been created. When you sit down beside a creek or stream, it talks to you. If you listen and open your soul, it will tell you all that you need to know for that moment in your life.

I miss the landscape of Northern California. I was undoubtedly spoiled by growing up in one of the most beautiful places in the world. The redwood and sequoia trees were majestic and ancient. The rainbow trout that swam in the rivers and streams were glistening. I even miss the ocean. That cool, northern California ocean with the swarming tide pools and barking sea lions. The smell of it, the taste of salt water air on your lips. I miss my home.

But Illinois is my home now. The land of Lincoln. And corn. And soy beans. And flat fields. There are a few places that I have found that have stirred some natural peace and relaxation. But these places are not the same as my home. I need to get away. I really do.