Do You Have A Place In This World?

Do you have a place in this world that feels different?  A place where you want to go back to time and time again, and want to share with your kids?  

This question might seem random, but it comes from a family trip recently.  I took our family over to the Oregon Coast to spend some time at the beach and explore around.  It brought me so much joy watching my almost 10yr old daughter having the time of her life in the sand, rocks, and water.  It was the highlight of my trip and I couldn't figure out why...at first.  Like most things it took me a minute to understand the roots of the emotion I was feeling.  

There was a part of me (as there is many times) that was weighing nature vs nurture.  I am always amazed at the similarities between my daughter and me when I was younger without her ever being told about these things.  The way she's connected people to their cars since she was very young, her quick wit, her love for the ocean, her logical thinking, and many more things that seem to come straight out of my book.  I love seeing how she is growing into her own person, but I'd be a damn liar if I said it didn't make my dad heart smile to see pieces of me naturally in her.  It also scares me that she may fall into some of the traps I fell into throughout life and I know there is active work to be done to help guide her away from those pitfalls and try to impart some of the wisdom I have gained through my journey.  

I started thinking about my childhood and how much I loved one special place on the northern coast of California (that shall not be named to keep it what it is).  My mom would take us there as kids and we would camp often with a couple other families.  I remember spending all day exploring the tide pools, trails, and beaches.  I thought I had it figured out with that connection, but it still felt deeper.  I continued to dig into it and realized it wasn't just a place where I had fun camping trips.  

That place was a much larger part in my development than just a camping spot that was fun.  I drove for the first time at that place as a kid. I tried my first cocktail there. I developed my first crush there. I had my first kiss there. I harvested my first abalone there. I learned what chivalry looked like there. I had secret trails and spots there, and shared so many more memories there.  There is something about that place that has always brought me joy in the good times and comfort in the bad times, sitting on the cliff at night, listening to the ocean crash below me.  That place is a part of me and I have always gone back to it and it never lets me down.  

Its been several years since I have been back to my spot, but I find myself often wondering if its changed.  Feeling called back to it and having it enter my mind frequently.  Is it out of a sense of nostalgia or reconnecting with a place that was a part of building my foundation?  I may never know the answer to that, but I do know I will be back.    

So back to the question that started this post... Do you have a place like that?  Is there somewhere that means more to you than anywhere else in the world?  If so, why?  Let us know on Facebook, Instagram, or shoot us an email.  

Wild Courage has helped me develop the skills to put what’s going on inside of me into context with my story and allow some closure to the feeling.  If you want to dig more into your story and skills to figure out the "why" behind what you're feeling, join us for our retreats or fires.