Finding Your Favorite Place

For ages, people have viewed retreating alone into nature or into a “safety zone” a sort of oddity. This is obvious in the FotR, when Frodo shows a preference for wandering in the woods and fields alone and instead of calling him a genius, his friends constantly worry about him. Aragorn, also, retreated into the wilderness for many years and it took awhile before the people of Gondor would recognize this “crazy wanderer” as their king. And yet, isn’t this something we’re all guilty of? In this article, Realm of Nessa members talk about their favorite places, and why they think it’s important for all human beings to have this place of retreat.
shadowmaster_bobadil says:

At present my safe haven is the peak of my barn roof. I live in the middle of no where, with corn and bean fields north, east, south, and west so the way I can go with out runing into my brothers and/or chickens, ducks, etc. is up. Besides I have the best vantage point for the beautifull Midwest American sunsets. There are allso a pair golden finches ,that have nested on our property, that like to fly overhead.

Shadowfax_Pip says:

My places to retreat would be my room and the barn. My room has all my creative stuff in it, so it’s usually the first place I go to. It’s quiet, with no major distractions, and I can play/listen to music, write, draw, read, or just think about whatever pops to mind. It’s also off-limits to my brothers, so that’s a plus as well.

The barn is my second choice, usually when it’s very loud or busy in the house. The three horses usually come up to the barn and hang around with me; except for the occasional chicken and the flies it’s very peaceful. Until my brothers decide to interrupt my reveries. Then it’s irritating.

A third place would have to be underneath a swamp oak in the yard. Because it has lots of foilage I can sit in the cool shade with my back to it and think. The acorns littered on the ground have also brought out my creativity, so I sometimes make little acorn faces out of the shells and stuff . Of course, the cats also love it under there and like to interrupt my creative endeavours.

Evermind~Niphredil says:

My own private spot is, well, my bedroom. The bean bag and bed are officially for reading, listening to music on my walkman, or writing by hand; the computer is for writing and listening to music. And trying to make computer graphics The rest of my bedroom can also be used to make music videoclips (lip synching ).

I think it’s normal for a human being to have his or her own private space — a spot where one can relax and just enjoy being alive.

Fealome says:

Not only is my car the thing that takes me away from the rush of things, it often serves as my place of retreat when things get hectic… or the inspiration rises. It’s probably the ugliest car you’d ever set eyes on. But as long as it takes me where I want to go, it doesn’t bother me that I can’t see my reflection in the hubcaps. Driving along, I can sing more loudly and shamelessly than anywhere else. The radio busted about a year ago, so I have to fill the musical void myself. When you’re running around all the time, getting things done, and leaving even more things undone, it’s wonderful to find a place where you can be free. Where you can untie all the knots that keep tethering you to the ground. All the same, I’m not a big fan of sitting and thinking. I find it’s better to move and go wild, and that’s where my car ends up being the perfect place to “hide” and be alive all at once.

vanyar says:

We have this national Forest area called “Vanderhoff State Park” that my friend and myself are particularly fond of. It has a couple of great walking paths through the forest, and this scenic overlook that juts out over the creek. Its calm, peaceful, and a lovely place to sit down and write. I think it’s only natural that humans find a place like that in nature that they gravitate towards when the pressure of life is on. It’s our escape route, our “Happy Place”. While some people’s happy place may not be by a creek in the middle of a forest, they may have a certain tree in their backyard they like to sit under. Its a very common, and exceptable thing to do in my opinion. I’d be more worried about the people who don’t find a happy place…cuz I bet they get reeeaaalllllllyyyy cranky, and that is un-exceptable!