I’m thinking this morning of when my husband and I returned from a couple of nights in Calistoga, a charming town in California’s Napa Valley. Yes, it has its share of upwardly mobile types who go there to visit the many wineries. But there also are others who need to be replenished by the pastoral setting and many opportunities to take walks in the surrounding hills. I need that uplift today.
I remember walking along the Richey Canyon Trail in Napa State Park, absorbing the redwood forest smells and listening to the creek burble over rocks. It was truly rejuvenating. I felt myself smiling the whole time, uplifted by the untouched beauty of ferns and other vegetation. It had rained the previous day, so everything seemed freshly washed and glistening.
Weekends away are indispensable for regaining some perspective on our lives and ourselves. When we’re deep into daily routines, it’s difficult to step outside of them long enough to question what we’re doing and why. Contemporary life keeps us far too busy with work and social-related events. There are few pockets for contemplation and wonder. At least I have this memory to return to when I need such a break.
I can understand why my son chose a far different path from me. He eschewed the traditional middle-class route of a college education leading to a career or profession. Instead, as an adult, he returned to a place we had visited when he was a child, Christina Lake, a lovely vacation spot in Southern British Columbia that he fell in love with. He works hard caring for Christina Lake’s recreation facilities, but he’s still constantly surrounded by nature. During the warmer months, he’s able to fish, his one great love, and tramp the trails when he isn’t working. This connection to nature keeps him in touch with something basic in all of us: our own roots as animals. (The Christina Lake Stewardship Society recently posted a video of him rescuing a garter snake, illustrating the respect he has for all creatures: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=281000215441325)
In a few minutes, I’ll return to the usual routine, but at least I have the memories of our restful time in Calistoga to buoy me. The town still exudes some of the charm of when it was created late in the 19th Century. Rows and rows of quiet tree-lined streets that give off a feeling of a real community and offers a respite from the anonymity of urban life, a pool that I can dip into periodically for refreshment.