06 June 2011

twentyone.

lying in bed tonight thinking far away to all the most soul stirring, breathtaking, magical places i know. here are my favorite ten, in no particular order.

ruaha nat'l park, tanzania
i lost my breath from the moment i saw it span before my from the biplane window and still haven't caught it. the longing to return will forever be incurable.

trinity college library, dublin, ireland
the history and legacy and intelligence trapped in that space hums and resonates like the walls and shelves themselves have old souls.
redwood nat'l park, california
like taking a step back in time. you half expect the giant trees to creak and bend to your ear at night to whisper stores of a past you can only imagine.

lake natoma, california
so much of who i am comes from and is within this place. i'm not one to believe in staking claims on public places, but, it is truly mine on a deep, fundamental level. and of course i'll share.

cinque terre, liguria, italy
the warm, twinklingly fuzzy feeling i get just thinking about this place is like a summer sunset and falling in love. had my first glass of red wine here, my first cappucino, and was awed by the beauty and confidence of old wrinkly women at my first nude beach.

englischer garten, munich, germany
green is my favorite color. this is a fairytale. a fantasy. too good to be true. magnificent.
deep creek lake, maryland
from the manicured lawns down to the grass to the ferns that grow in forest in the summer, from the way the water smells so distinctly clean and vital to the swingset at the yacht club, this place courses through my veins.
jardin de versailles, chateau de versailles, france
nothing compares to getting lost here. it's like being in the best dream i've ever had.
my gradmother's house on fixlini street, san luis obispo, ca
if a house could embody love... it was quirky and delightful, warm, unique, and just grand in every imperfection.

the swiss alps, switzerland
i'll never forget my mom waking me up from a nap on the train from italy to france to look outside. the shear scale of these massive krags and cliffs against the stark blue sky remains today the most sublime thing i've ever seen.

black's beach intertidal/cliffs, la jolla, california
i took for granted going to college here (literally here. the university owns part). in the hundreds of runs down the hill to the beach in my four years there, i'd always stretch my arms and fingertips out like wings at the steepest part--- with nothing but ocean before you and the sea breeze whipping up the road between the cliffs, it feels like flying. i could soar.