My Happy Place

My place to step away from everything

I want to show you my happy place. This is the place where I go in my thoughts when I feel low or need a little break from everything. And sometimes, I get to go there for real.

It’s not easy to reach. Getting there takes a bit of time and effort. And you need some kind of watercraft. We either row or paddle our way there.

Gliding on the water, I admire my children, who always handle it so well and are so brave and confident.

Then we arrive. The paddleboards are tied to a tree, and the rocky shore receives us firmly and protectively.

So close to the cottage, and yet so far away. Worries are forgotten. As if the waves of the journey had washed them away. All everyday things feel distant. It feels light to be here.

Water has gathered into small pools in the hollows of the rock, and what a joy it is to float tiny boats there. I pour myself a cup of coffee and sit with the feeling of quiet happiness that always finds me when I am here.

And the views are amazing. The island is a lush green world, full of interesting things to explore. The sky and the lake are such a calm blue that it is hard to believe there could be anything else beyond them. Here, everything feels as it should be. People are close, yet there is peace everywhere. Nature is a value in itself, and we as humans are only small within it, moving respectfully in its presence.

And coffee… it tastes best right here. When I pour it into my kuksa, my wooden outdoor cup, and feel its warmth in my fingers. The best part is really the thought itself, not so much the taste. The thought that I can simply be here now, to root myself in this moment. The cup helps me to ground myself. The drink in my cup is like an hourglass, one whose flow I can control myself.

The bracelet my son made rests on my wrist and makes me smile. It was immediately clear to him that my bracelet could say “coffee,” and it suits these moments perfectly.

A boat passes us, and soon the waves follow. They hit the rocky shore, bringing a small sense of tension. As if reminding us: the lake could be wild, unruly, even dangerous. After the waves, the calm lake feels, if possible, even safer.

When everyone has that tiredness on their eyelids that comes from fresh air, we set off on the way back. There is always someone who would like to stay a little longer. I would too.

But sometimes, you have to go back.

Still, I can always find my way back here — by closing my eyes.