Lake Michigan. The dunes are made of the softest sand and some of the most beautiful parks are along the lakeshore. I remember going one winter with some friends and it was probably one of my favorite trips. Honestly, I don’t really remember my friends much, but I remember how crisp the air was. Some of the ice on the lake had cracked and ran into more ice, forming ridges. The night was so silent that you could hear it groaning. For a moment, we were the only people on Earth.

Two people (that I rarely get to see) plus my cats.

As far as places go I like my room but I get bothered there too, so probably the cat corner in the cellar or some places I’ve made nice experiences during events.

The intro theme to Cheers.

Taking a kayak out into one of the local waterways on an early morning. We have a few canals that run through a nature area on the outskirts of the city. Around that time no one is yet on the water and I can just glide peacefully past the water lilies and other plants. The silence is so soothing. Everything just seems to live and breathe all around me.

It’s great until about an hour later, when some of the locals use their motor boat to put-put-put down the canal, stinking up the place with their exhausts :P

I have a little spot out back. It’s small, and at the base of a woodsy hill. My bird feeder is back there, a swing chair, some crap speaker from work and a little fan for when it’s hot. I started going out there just to smoke, but now I really look forward to it. I even invested in furniture risers. I’m tall, but always wanted to have my feet swing again like I was a kid. Now I get to do that and be high. 👍🏾

I have two, and they are both very different.

The first is not entirely peaceful or relaxing but it was a moment of pure happiness and respect. We were doing the Swiftsure race and the whole time we had this incredible crew cohesion, like a hive mind. We all knew what we were doing and completely trusted our fellow crew that they did too. The respect I felt from those folks, that I was a valued and knowledgeable member of the team, bouys me when I have moments of imposter syndrome or self doubt. There were peaceful moment during the race, sailing downwind at 3am with the crew all bundled up together, some dozing and some just staring at the multitude of stars in the sky. But it’s the feeling of respect and teamwork that makes it for me. My skipper is the only one I’ll race with anymore, I trust him with my life. We also did pretty damn good with a 3rd place win!

The second is the west coast of Vancouver island. From tofino, Jordan river/renfrew/sombrio, cape scott, anywhere along that coast brings me so much peace. I want to sail around Vancouver Island and spend a month just puttering down the coast.

Thank you for asking such a wonderful question, it’s put me in a great frame of mind ❤️

I have two spots on the other side of the country, that I haven’t seen in almost twenty years, that still serve this function if trying to calm myself down. One is a waterfall in what was then a very lush patch of forest. Another is a quiet bay surrounded by pine trees.

If I’m having a rough time, more likely than not I’m slowing down my breathing and visualizing one of these places.

Western North Carolina 😭

Hoping to get back there soon and bring my tourism $$ with me when they are ready. The mountains are my happy place and make me feel like a kid again.

Also, bike riding (when I’m not in a conflict with cars) is giving me a lot of joy. Especially when there are other bikers about.

My closest fairy fountain is hundreds of miles away. I kind of lost that when I moved away from my previous friends. I used to have people where I am like that, but you could say the fairy is gone from those fountains.

Walking the streets and sleeping rough a couple of days after arriving in Amsterdam, tired and hungry, a Portuguese guy with almost nothing himself invited me to his squatted place and cooked patato and onion soup and offered me a glass of port and a place to rest. I still hold this memory close.

My bed. Im not depressed when I’m asleep.

My home garden. I’m by no means a great gardener but I’m a software developer working from home and just popping in there to spend 30 minutes caring for the plants is really refreshing.

Beaches. Specifically where the ocean is hardcore and there’s huge rocks that the waves crash against. There’s this deep sort of infrasound that comes out of the big waves when they meet the big rocks and it’s just like heaven.

My dream is to travel to Nazaré, Portugal and watch the waves there. Bliss. Almighty powerful bliss.

I live on an island in the Atlantic. There’s this beach cottage nestled in the dunes along the southern shore, and it’s been there for over a hundred years. The wealthy family that owns it no longer lives on the island, but they love the space and don’t want it to fall into ruin so they’ve had a series of caretakers for the past thirty years or so. The position is unpaid, BUT it comes with the freedom to use the property year-round. I was the caretaker for fifteen years, and a few years back passed the title down to a friend (so I can still visit.) It’s one of the most magical places on Earth, and every time I’m there it’s like my health and mana bars get refilled.

When my cat headbutts me. I love that little guy