Places – The Beach, Hands Down

……the beach, mountains, forests or somewhere else entirely?

Today’s Daily Post asks us to choose where we would like to be.

I’m happy anywhere where I can relax, explore and learn. I worked for a summer in the Alps in southern Germany, skied in the Rockies and drove through the mountains in Yosemite and up Mount Washington. There is something magical about waking up in an area where you are surrounded by the majesty of these beautiful mountains but it can also be somewhat claustrophobic.

I love the coolness and freshness of being in the middle of a forest. I’ve hiked through the forests of Vermont and New Hampshire and camped in Quebec and Ontario. My cottage is nestled inside the forest but I’m only 100 steps from the beach and that is where I prefer to be.

I seem to be naturally drawn to water. According to Chinese astrology I am a water dragon. My home in the city is only 50 metres from the shores of Lake Ontario and I feel blessed to be able to walk down to the park by the lake and look over the entire city. I love how it changes with the seasons. It’s always a little cooler here in the summer and slightly warmer in the winter. 

I’ve been on the beaches of Hawaii, the coast of Maine, the wharfs of San Francisco, and the east and west coasts of Ireland. I haven’t travelled extensively but the places I remember most fondly were bordered by an ocean or a Great Lake.