...my safe place...

I hadn't been to Castlewood since the Great Ice Hike of 2014. I only just discovered it last year, and it is probably my favorite place in St. Louis.

The neon greens of new buds were popping out of the
tips of the tree branches.

There could not have been a better day to explore the great outdoors than today. The sun was warm, the breeze was cool, and every once in a while there was some cloud cover to offer relief to the weary traveler.

I hiked a few new paths today, but interestingly, they all led me back to the same one I usually take. I wondered if that relates to my life at all. Do I seek new paths, only to be mysteriously redirected to the path I'm already on?

As today was also Father's Day, there were many more hikers than I've ever seen on the trail.

I wanted to take pictures of the beauty and wonder that is Castlewood to share with you, but, per usual, my phone died halfway through the hike. Not sure how my phone died at 10am, but ok. So instead I decided to use my sense of hearing to set the scene.

My phone played these songs before biting it for the morning. Did you ever feel like music could speak to exactly where you were in a given moment? You're swept away by it, because for a moment, someone understands you and has voiced your hearts quiet contemplations.

Beautiful Things Gungor

Dream Priscilla Ahn

You could hear her incessant chattering before you could see her tiny frame. Three, going on thirteen, she was a ball of words and thoughts, though they didn't seem to make sense to an outsider. As I passed by, her mom gave me an exhausted and apologetic look, as if to say, so sorry my kid is ruining the peace and quiet of this place. I smiled back warmly. Little did she know that I would have given anything to trade places with her.

The sounds of birds were drowned out my the sound of people. Laughing, talking, skipping and stumbling along. The mighty trees allowed the breeze to rustle their leaves only slightly. The river was silent as it rushed passed. The rocks ground into the earth beneath my sure feet.

I saw a familiar looking little boy, only to look up and see his mom trailing behind him. Brandi and Jeff and their boys were out on a hike for Father's Day. We paused and chatted for a moment, and then went off in opposite directions. It's always nice to see a familiar face on any adventure.

(Side note: When you come across another hiker on the trail, look up and say hello. You are not too cool to acknowledge your fellow traveler. Neither are you too uncool. Funny how the later holds us back more often than the former...)

Two little girls, possibly aged two and four, concerned over a potential "wil' aminal" attack, demanded begin held by their daddy as they trekked down the steep mountain. When the end of the trail was in sight, they pointed and cried, “Look! A way out!” Apparently, they had spent so much time hiking through the woods this morning that they were convinced their parents were lost. To be fair, it is a long hike.

My thoughts were screaming at me this morning. I was desperate to get away and ignore their little lies. Hiking in Castlewood allows that for a few hours. It is a sweet, serene place of peace in a hectic world. It's towering trees and tall grasses offer refreshing from the stale day to day. It's slower pace bids the hiker to relax and reflect. (Sometimes, I pretend I'm in Fangorn Forest, waiting for the trees to wake up from their sleep.)

It has become my safe place, where I run when I need to be brought back to life.

Do you have a safe place?