We all have our favorite places where we can totally unwind, chill, and rise above the chaos. It can be anywhere in the world or it could be right in your own backyard. Some of these places just give you that mystical feeling like you’re in touch with the universe. I think everyone has a place or two that gives them that feeling. My personal experience is limited mainly to the United States. I haven’t traveled the world, so this list is far from complete because of the bias to the U.S. However, it is complete to me because you really don’t have to go far to get that Wayward Winds feeling.

“Without going out of my door, I can know all things of Earth. Without looking out of my window, I can know the ways of Heaven. The farther one travels, the less one knows.” George Harrison. The Inner Light.

The goal of this blog is to spark a thought in everyone to remember those places that you’ve visited that take you to a completely calming and serene place in your mind. The object is to think about those places without going there; to constantly remind yourselves to rise above the chaos and look at the world from a higher perspective.

These are the places that get me there:

5. The Ice Bar - Crested Butte, Colorado. The Ice Bar is no longer called the Ice Bar but it still has that mystical feeling when you sit there mid-slope and see the peak of Mt. Crested Butte against a bright blue sky.. Maybe it has something to do with their awesome Bloody Marys but I think there is something more unearthly about the place. I’ve been fortunate to have been there twice and both times I felt at total peace.

4. The Sandbar - Anna Maria Island, Florida. It has been several years since I’ve been there but the vision of the sunsets are imbedded in my brain. (Sunsets are always calming) The grouper sandwich is pretty tasty too along with a Pina Colada. You kind of feel like you’re on the edge of the earth while watching the sun disappear below the horizon there on Anna Maria. The sand is sugar white and soft, and the water is crystal clear. It is especially cool when the dolphins swim by.

3. New River Gorge - Fayetteville, West Virginia. There aren’t too many places on the east coast where you can get full sight of the Milky Way, but this is one of those magical places. There is a lookout deck below the canyon rim at Adventures On The Gorge, where you can look back up at the sky on a clear night and gaze at the Milky Way. I wonder in awe of our planet and universe every time I go there. It’s easy to see how the people who came before us based much of their life on the moon and stars. They didn’t have all the light pollution we have today!

2. Monterey Peninsula, Monterey, California. This is one of those places where you say, “There is something more going on in the Universe than just man’s egocentricity.” You truly get a sense of the dynamics of the Earth when you go there; the Pacific Ocean crashing on the rocks, the marine layer keeping it cool, the various life forms on land and in the water make the Monterey Peninsula a great cross section of the geologic makeup of the planet. The sights and sounds take you to a higher plane.

1. My driveway. Anywhere, USA. It doesn’t matter where you live, you can find and follow the Wayward Winds from where you are at any given time. Take time to look up and look out at the World. Watch a full sunset. (keep watching until it gets dark. Sunsets tend to get better once the sun passes the horizon). I believe we are all in the garden of eden we call planet Earth. No matter what your religious beliefs are, No matter what your walk of life is, we are all here together on this physically beautiful place. We must find a way to Rise Above All the Chaos we’ve created. We must find a way to live in balance. We must find a way to respect our planet as our home.

Follow your Wayward Winds whatever or wherever you are. Send the trivial things adrift and live in balance. The Wayward Winds symbol is a constant reminder to do these things.

Thank you.

I’d love to hear about your favorite Wayward Winds places. Please comment.

Peace and Love,

David