My favorite spot in the world. 

Every introvert has a place. You know, that place. The one that is special, yours, where you can think deeply & lose yourself in contemplation. A place that inspires your dreams, allows you to float off in flights of fancy. That place that brings you back to yourself, to that inner sense of being stripped of all worldly influence & chaos. Like Siddhartha, you can just be in nature in that place, feel the cosmos & knowledge of something greater than yourself.

There’s something calming in looking at the sea.

For me, I found that special place as a child. And I became fiercely protective of it. I think I enjoyed the precariousness of perching on a promontory overlooking crashing waves & craggy boulders. And the expanse of the ocean spread before me, with promise of something exciting, an adventure awaiting me. I’d sneak up to the spot while “playing outside,” knowing that nobody would notice. It was mine, & mine alone.

The weather didn’t matter. The views were always dazzling, storm or sun. Whether there were waves or an eerie calm, I felt more myself in that place than anywhere else. I still do. There’s just something transcendent, magical, transforming on those rocks. The elements all meet–the fiery sun, the nipping wind, the briny water spray, & the granite cliffs. An alchemy of soul that rendered me speechless. Still does.

Distant storms on the horizon warned of something spectacular yet dangerous. 

I must confess I never understood why I felt so rooted there. But it spoke to me. Looking out to the distant line between sea & sky, I could watch approaching storms or boats disappear. Stunning sunsets & sunrises–the water reflecting & refracting light into a multitude of colors. The ocean water shifted in hue all the time, from gray to green to deep blue to azure. Constantly changing, with the surf providing a decorative lacy trim. It felt like it mirrored my emotions, nature’s mood ring.

The roll of waves & tides, always changing & moving.

And the sound. That roar of furious ocean waves crashing, which would then slowly subside into gentle lapping with the ebbing tide, like a cat drinking at a dish of milk. The call of seagulls. The scent of the salt mixed with ocean life, seaweed or kelp & tidal pool creatures, detritus of the sea. The best scent in the world.

The panorama stuns at sunset. 

When people came to my special place, I felt they invaded my inner self. Like this spot belonged to me, only to me, & how dare they tread upon these magical rocks. I half-expected to see mermaids & pirate ships & sirens luring boats to their demise, & then these desecrators trampled my dreams & imagination with their laughs & loudness. You had to be granted the gift of access to the special place. I’d resent the tourists who chattered, snapping me back to reality, reminders of the mundane world.

Spectacular cloud & light displays urged the imagination. 

Just as worldly society slowly chips away at the child’s heart inside the adult, so I felt that I’d need to protect this place in my heart from those who failed to understand its import. I still feel that way.

This place introduced me to the greatest beauty I’ve ever seen, the grandest dreams I’d ever dream, & a true experience of magic, an inexplicable force that made me understand that something lies beyond that horizon–just as something lies beyond that which we can only see or physically observe. You had to believe, to trust in that something more. There was no other way to experience its majesty.

How insignificant & small we are beneath that sky.

At night, I’d scramble back, knowing I’d be alone again. I’d hear the waves crashing, smell the seawater, but it would be so dark that I’d look up & see only the stars. This great expanse of stars overhead, dwarfing me. I’d forget about the rock & water anchoring me to the earth, & instead I’d focus on the sky above. That infinite space that felt like my soul, my heart–endless & profound beyond all words. Greater than anything I’d ever witnessed, I’d experience the awe of just being, knowing I connected to the universe in a timeless way.

Anyway, these are the thoughts of pensive introverts in their special spots in nature. Well, they are at least mine.  Those moments in solitude, in the quiet & in nature–this was & is where I find my inner self, my infinite soul, my truest heart.