Everyone has a place that feels like exhaling.

Mine is Albertson Reservoir in Yocum Valley.

It is my favorite place in the world.

Every year when summer arrives, I feel like I can finally breathe again because it means I can go back there whenever I want. During the winter, snow makes it impossible to reach, which somehow makes it feel even more sacred when the roads finally open back up.

The funny thing is, if someone drove by quickly, they might not fully understand why I love it so much.

There are no fancy cabins.
No restaurants.
No shops.
No cell service.
No wifi.

Just sagebrush, pine trees, water, and quiet.

And somehow… it is heaven on earth.

It has become my sanctuary.
My slow-down.
My dreaming place.

A place where life feels softer.

It can be busy in the summertime because everyone in my family — which at this point is well over 100 people — is welcome there. Cousins, kids, grandkids, coolers, fishing poles, dogs {lots of them}, laughter carrying across the water.

And honestly, I love that too.

But every once in awhile, you get the entire place to yourself.

Those are my favorite days.

The kind where the water is still in the morning and the only sounds are wind through the trees and birds somewhere in the distance. The kind where you realize how loud the rest of the world normally is.

There is something about being there that changes everything.

Cookies tastes better.
Conversations feel deeper.
Time slows down.

A sandwich that would feel completely ordinary on a Tuesday afternoon at home somehow becomes the best sandwich you have ever eaten sitting beside the water.

A Diet Coke is more refreshing.
Naps feel deeper.
Books become impossible to put down.

Even silence feels beautiful.

I think part of it is the absence of distraction.

Without phones buzzing or notifications pulling at you, you start noticing things again.

The smell of pine trees warming in the sun.
The sound of water hitting the shore.
The way evening light settles across the mountains.
The comfort of people you have known your whole life sitting nearby saying almost nothing at all.

It reminds me that maybe we were never meant to live as fast as we do.

Maybe we were meant to sit outside longer.
Eat slower.
Talk more.
Dream more.
Watch sunsets.
Float in cold water.
Let ourselves become quiet enough to hear our own thoughts again.

Albertson Reservoir does that for me.

It brings me back to myself every single summer.

And maybe that is what makes a place truly special.

Not how impressive it is…
but how you feel when you are there.

Sweet Wishes,
June