Humbling Beauty.

I got back from the cottage today. I am going to home tomorrow. My heart aches when I think about my Larz and Rob. I will have pictures shortly but first, let me tell you about the cottage. Tucked away, in the middle of a rain forest, is a huge brick cottage looking lodge. (look to my below seattle posting) The smoke is pooring out of the chimney tops and the smell will make you feel reborn. Driving up to this hidden heaven is like something from a story book. Its a road literally being hugged by gigantic trees. The leaves are bigger than my torso. NO joke. It was rainy the first day we got there and I quickly realized how unprepared I was with shoes. I thought I was ok until I attempted to go for a small hike. No way. My shoes and feet were soaked. So we drove to town to buy some rain boots. I had my boots, camera, and my umbrella and I was off. It was so quiet and scary at first. I was walking down a trail, all alone, no one around. I was so busy worrying about my feet and the water running down the trail, (literally) that I forgot to look around for the first 5 minutes. I stopped and lifted back my umbrella. The only word that comes to my head is sacred. My eyes kept going and going and going up. My whole body and soul was overcome with such shock that I dropped my umbrella and my eyes swelled up with tears and I said "WOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW). I was the smallest being in the middle of the largest trees I have ever seen in my entire life. I was surrounded by the most compact beautiful forest I have ever known in person. It was so overwhelming for me. Sure, everyone knows I love nature. But this was something I had never felt. My smile was honest and wide and my eyes were wider than they've ever been. I have never been so happy all alone. I kept walking on the trail. I couldn't stop talking. I was telling the forest how truly happy I was and how lucky I was to witness such beauty. I'm not crazy. I know you can picture me ranting and raving to some tree about how much I like it. I was just so full of emotion. I can't begin to tell you literally how massive these trees were. Imagine a regular forest with pine trees, etc. Now enlarge everything in that forest about 10 times. I will post pictures as soon as I get home. Anyways. That experience changed my being. It was sacred and humbling and rich. I will never forget it. Its funny too because I kept looking over my shoulder in fear of a mountain lion pouncing on me or something.

We drank hot cocoa by the giant beauty and beast like fire in our pajamas and read books, we went on 3 amazing hikes and I saw the biggest tree I have ever seen and hugged it like it was santa or something. lol. I shed a lot of tears due to the amount of beauty I was witnessing. Mushrooms, rivers, trees, waterfalls, and french toast for breakfast. Oh man it couldn't have been better. And the best thing about this little trip was the fact that I was with my sister. She is such an amazing person. I'm so lucky to have 3 beautiful and funny sisters who love me regardless of all of the amazingly idiotic things I have done.

The pictures will tell the stories. Sorry for the essay but I didn't even tell you everything. I will just say that yesterday and today my soul was fed more than I ever thought possible. Thanks to the power of Mother Nature and some sisterly company. (Love you Tif)