When I wake up the next morning, a sense of calm washes over me, and I know finally, once and for all, that I made the right choice to spend my summer here by the falls. I’d been so stressed out all year, moving from one thing to the next with no breaks, no time to pause, recuperate, rest, or even to stop and think. I’m not usually one for rash decisions, I’m much more used to planning everything weeks and months in advance. But this might have changed my mind. I haven’t felt this calm in years. The sun’s beautiful rays slide into my guest room from gaps in the blinds as the sun slowly rises over the mountains. I can hear the falls, hear the river crashing down from up high in the hills as it makes its way rapidly to its destination at the lake. Birds are chirping, and I can hear some rustling in the brush below my window. The world is waking up with the sun and beginning to slowly approach this new dawning day, and for once I can join in. I open first the blind and then the window itself, and breathe in the fresh morning air. Then I pause for a moment — I really pause. I don’t have to rush, I don’t have to steal time, I can actually take a moment to consider do I want to get dressed right now, or should I have coffee and a bit of breakfast first? It’s an incredibly refreshing feeling, to have time to think. I choose coffee and breakfast. I take my time, walking around the kitchen, gathering everything I need to make the most perfect, relaxing morning, the kind everyone imagines when they think of a vacation but hardly anyone actually gets to experience. I set up my coffee, two blueberry scones, and slices of pear, on a tray. I carry it outside onto the patio before I make a bold decision to step off the patio and eat breakfast in the green, dewy grass, listening to the river and the birds, entirely at peace.
