theme of the week: favorite places

I was at the park with the boys the other day, sitting on a bench and watching them play in the sand. It was the end of the day and I closed my eyes for a few moments. The sun was warm on my arms and for a moment I had deja vu. Something about the smell of the air and the sounds of outdoor voices took me back to one of my favorite places from my college days. It was called 5 Mile Dam because it was five miles outside of my quaint college town (duh). The emerald green Blanco river wound its way through the Texas hillside and over the dam. On one bank it was rocky and flat and the other bank went straight up and was covered with trees and vines. During the weekends it was packed, but my favorite time to go was during the week as soon as my last class let out.

I would hike back from campus as fast as I could, change into my bikini and cut-off shorts and hop in my 1985 Mazda RX-7. I was too cool. As soon as I got there I would stake out my place on the hot white rocks, spread out my towel and slather myself in baby oil (yes, I know better now!) I would lay there soaking up the sun until I got too hot and then jump in the river and swim across and back. It was always so peaceful and refreshing.

My husband took me to 5 Mile on our first date. After we ate dinner, we drove out there and sat in the back of his pick-up truck and talked for hours. He had brought along some wine and wine glasses. We were doing great until the sheriff showed up to make the rounds at the park. I was only 19 so I shouldn't have been having wine with a 22 year-old. But in his first display of charm and exceptional people skills, D had a chat with the sheriff and he left us alone, requesting only that we didn't break our wine glasses out there. On the way back home, I fell in love with my husband-to-be as we drove with the windows down and CCR singing "Traveling Band" full blast on his stereo. He was a gentleman and took me back to my apartment, kissed me on my cheeks and forehead and said goodnight. The next day he sent me flowers at my workplace and a note that said, "I couldn't sleep at all last night and I smiled all day." With those words, he had me for sure.

When I was in labor with our sons, it was 5 Mile Dam I was trying to go to in my mind. According to the books, it would help to visualize a pleasant experience to manage the pain and contractions. I tried to see it, feel it. The warm sun, rushing water, weightless body swimming in the river. It didn't quite work.

It's funny how a smell or sound can bring me back to a place in time before marriage, before children, before bills and laundry, when there was nothing keeping me from jumping in a river and swimming the afternoon away and having nothing but a sunburn to show for it.


If you have a favorite place you'd like to share, tell me about it in the comments and I'll link you from my page!