We live in a vibrant city and are lucky to have an abundance of opportunities available to us each day. We are rich in friends and family. We are blessed with deep connections with good people….with a good life. There are times though, when I need the space to feel my own heartbeat. I need the quiet to reconnect with my own thoughts, independent of debate or conversation. It seems like this time of year (leading up to the holidays), I get this insane itch to swoop the girlie away from Austin. I just to want to remind her…and for me to know too….that we can find a deeper center when we allow ourselves some distance from the constant hustle and bustle. So we spent some days and some nights away from the city, with our books and journals and cameras. We had hikes and afternoon naps, each other to talk to now and again, and only midnight visits from the raccoons to disturb our peace. It was good to miss those that weren’t with us, and it was good to return feeling that we had been missed. My mind has been quieted a bit, making space for new ideas, and my heart is full up…It was full before I ever left town, I just needed the space to feel it.