Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Sometimes You Need to Get Away

Sometimes you need to get away. 

They (the people who form the generic “they”) say “Don’t dream, just do it.” Others say “Never stop dreaming.” I think there must be a balance. There are tasks we must do, appointments to be kept, yet we have that open ticket ready in our heads – the ticket that takes us to places we’d rather be, at least for a short visit. 

 
I was thinking today about the places I like to go when I want to get away, but can’t actually, physically, go. One of those places is a wide, clean sandy beach – a peaceful and beautiful beach in Emerald Isle, NC that nature allows me to share while the waves set the rhythm and high-level winds direct the clouds to other venues. Another place I like to visit is a path in the woods amid rolling hills. Nearby a creek is gurgling over rocks and around tree roots, making liquid music, and the scent of tall pines fills the air and their needles create a fresh carpet underfoot. Or I might visit a dock at a mountain lake where a boat and a breeze awaits me, where life’s cares are left behind on shore.  

 
These are ordinary places. Places like this are easy to find in any number of locales, but my favorite spots exist only in my head. And in my books. And I go there when I can, and when I write.
 
I presume that’s true for most story tellers, and story lovers, too. It's not just for those who write the stories down. We tell ourselves stories or imagine exotic locations or peaceful scenes. Maybe it’s a form of meditation, but I’ve never studied or tried meditation, so I don’t know. I do know that when I’m in the dentist’s chair for more than a simple cleaning, I can visit those and other locations. Sometimes I hear music with the visuals – strains of Vivaldi and Corelli long ago engrained in my auditory memory. It’s impossible to pay attention to what the dentist is doing in your mouth when a Baroque orchestral arrangement is tuning your brain.  

 
Where do you go on your “dream” trips? Do you have special destinations? Are they special to you because of memories you made there? Or maybe a destination inspired by a picture you saw in a magazine that caught your attention and got caught in your brain? Or is there a location in a book you read that took root in your imagination and won’t let go? Please let me know in the comments. Maybe there's a great destination I'm missing!
 
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Grace Greene writes Women's Fiction with romance, mystery and suspense. The Emerald Isle, NC novels feature romance and sweet inspiration. The Virginia Country Roads Novels offer romance with more mystery and suspense. Please visit her website and she'd love it if you signed up for her newsletter.
 
 
 
 






 

7 comments:

  1. I love new experiences, so I tend to travel different places. I'm looking forward to taking my kiddos out west to visit Grand Canyon, Yellow Stone, and more. That being said, my next dream trips are a small boat cruise in the Mediterranean and a riverboat cruise in Europe. :)

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  2. Riverboat cruise in Europe - Yes, I want to do that too. I want to see Yellowstone and Tahoe and that whole area of the US. And castles - we'd hoped to travel to Scotland this spring but when I decided to leave the day job we postponed that - not cancelled, but maybe next year. I love to travel and see new places and always have my camera with me.

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  3. when i need to get away i pick a good book, and usually go out west with the cowboys

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    1. Yes! On a horse! I've only ridden a horse twice in my life and those were trail horses who walked in their sleep except for when they were nipping back at my feet, but riding the trails of the west in my mind? Much safer - LOL - though I'm sure it's not as great as the REAL thing is for actual, accomplished riders. One of my favorite books ever is Lonesome Dove.

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  4. I love Northern Ireland. My daughter is studying dance there and it's beautiful. (Especially in the summer!)

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    1. I'd love to visit Northern Ireland, or Ireland or the UK or any of that area. How wonderful for your daughter to be studying dance there!

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  5. Thanks, Grace. She truly loves it!

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