Peace can be so elusive in this world of ours. Everything is so loud and crashing and busy. Life swirls and climbs and it’s easy to feel like your drowning. Case in point. But as I’ve been sifting through my rubble, I’ve been thinking a lot about peace. Namely where I can find it and how I can invite more of it into my life.

So today I took a long drive through the canyon and stopped to sit by the pond for a spell. I thought perhaps this might be a good place to start. And I’m beginning to think there’s something good and lovely and healing about the act meandering aimlessly.

I didn’t begin my drive with a plan (gasp). Wait. I take that back. I lie. I did have a plan. Initially. I looked at a map before I left and plotted a course to get to my destination. But when I went to follow my course, it was a series of non-existent roads or dirt paths unfit for my on-her-last-legs-Passat. Shocker. I’d say that’s par for the course these days. So then I had no choice but to meander aimlessly.

If it was a deadend, I turned around. If it looked interesting, I turned in. If I wanted to stay straight, I did. And I allowed my thoughts the same grace. I didn’t try to force understanding. I didn’t try to guide any parallels. I didn’t look for answers. I just let them come. One by one in whatever order they flowed.

And as I sat by the pond at the end of my wander, I tried to consciously acknowledge each of my senses. What did I feel? What did I hear? What did I see? Taste? Smell?

And while I didn’t have any grand epiphanies or flashes of wisdom, I did feel peace. Today I felt peace. I was totally present in the moment. And the mountain air was good for my soul.

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Maybe you’d like to see what I saw on my wander?