Beach,
mountain, forest, or somewhere else entirely?
Well, this
one is an easy one for me…ALL of THEM, for a time at least. I’ve had the amazing opportunity already in
my life to live rent and mortgage free right on the ocean in the safest part of
the world where there are no major storms or hurricanes to worry about. I did LOVE living mere feet from the Pacific
waves in the Marshall Islands. I never
grew tired of the magnificent blue-green and clear waters, and even though the
years I lived in that home were some of the most challenging and upsetting I’ve
ever experienced, there was a peace in those waves. Whenever I was particularly
distraught, I could just go out back and find God there in the consistency and
power of the ocean. I could pray and cry as loud as I wanted (even with
neighbors’ homes only feet away on either side) and no one would know because
the crash of the waves would pull my cries right out into the sea and keep them
just between us. I have wonderful memories there too, like the memory of my
oldest son’s 3rd Dinosaur themed birthday party with the plastic
blow-up pool for fishing for ducks and the John Deere electric car that the
kids drove all over the yard. I have
sweet pictures of my babies playing out on the coral reef in diapers with their
dad and of me holding my 3 month old newborn with the trade winds blowing my
hair and the sun making my son squint his eyes.
There are
advantages and disadvantages to living anywhere, and just as much as I loved
it, I remember the upkeep of living in a house right on the ocean where rust,
mold, and sea salt spray covered everything left outside, even behind patio
walls. Certain times of year the trade
winds were so strong, they would break each and every wind chime hung from the
patio cover, and it was difficult to even hold a conversation with a friend
while sitting out back. The beach and
the Pacific Ocean in particular will always hold a special place in my heart,
but I would never choose again to live right on it. One reason is because it’s
so expensive anywhere else, and in the majority of other places in the world, you
have to worry about hurricanes, etc...BUT, I would also not chose to live on
the ocean again because I had my time on the ocean, and when it was over, I was
ready to move on. And I did…
Now, I live
in the shadow of Mt. Rainier and the Olympic Mountain Chain, and I get so excited
when they show themselves on a clear day.
I love to seek out their best hiking spots and discover all the
waterfalls and other wonders the mountains hold in their nooks and crannies. I
have only been here a year, and I have not finished exploring yet….
Living in
the NW, forest kind of comes with the territory. I mean, it is the EVERGREEN
state for goodness sake! For that matter, I live behind 200+ feet of wetland
forest, and every time I set foot in this basically untouched, protected area,
I can’t believe how beautiful it is.
Having visited the Redwoods a few years ago, I again feel privileged to
have been able to visit those old growth forests. Just like the ocean, there’s a peace there,
although it’s a quieter peace. The ocean ROARS and puts itself all out there at
once, loudly proclaiming itself to all who will listen, and the forest takes
its time revealing its intricacies to you in the chirp of a lone bird or the
crunching of leaves beneath your feet. It soothes in its cool undergrowth and
cleanses the air you breath with its fresh, earthy odor. The ocean crashes into
my soul while the forest wraps me warmly into its mossy embrace.
Something
else entirely, well, I’ve yet to have the opportunity to live near or on a
river or lake. I think that will be a
goal for a future life adventure. J How could anyone ever chose when there are so many wonderful environments
to experience in this magnificent world of ours!
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