Step Outside and Find Serenity

I retreated into nature to find myself again. To redeem myself, after almost a year of soul-searching.

Photo by Alexander Ramsey on Unsplash

The year is 2017.

I have just arrived, on a long and hot journey in my malfunctioning car, in Colorado. My new home, for the second time and final time.

The first time was a disaster. My ex-boyfriend, Toby, kicked me out of our living space to move in another woman and her kids. I had fond memories of the mountains, of finding my home, but all were laced with the painful memory of his betrayal and rejection of me.

But this time, I intend to make a new start. I pull into the gravel drive, stones shifting beneath my tires. An oak tree hangs its branches over the parking spot, and a little log is placed just so, as though a sitting spot for the neighborhood kids.

My sister runs at me, enveloping me in a hug. I haven’t seen her in over a month and it feels great to have her near again.

After inhaling the meal she makes me and making a run to the dispensary, I am on my own for the evening.

So I decide to explore and find a peaceful place to reflect on my future.

Under the railroad bridge, I find a tiny ledge that can only be accessed by pressing your…