I love the sea, no doubt about it. My family drives to the lowlands, especially during Christmas or summer vacation for a dip and to play with the waves. The most recent one was on the 13th of this month which I unfortunately missed due to my hormones acting up, lol!
But...
I adore the mountains more. Although I have traveled and lived in other places, the mountainside drew (pulled) me back. It has been home to me since birth, therefore it's part of my identity. I love the sense of isolation, tranquility, comfort, and the scenery it provides.
The simplicity and beauty of things around here amaze me every time. So if someone had me choose between swimming and hiking, I would opt for the latter without thinking twice. It wouldn't hurt to do both, of course! But I would take the hike first.
We did climb a few here at home and in other places.
The mountains continuously teach me various things, i.e. curiosity, exploration, adventure (the hills were our playground when we were young), deep appreciation of nature, happiness, patience, love, strength, respect, and yes, humility. I learned to appreciate the little things. May it be the tiniest wildflower along the way, the moth, or even the snail out in the yard.
I love the smell of pine and other trees, the rustling of their branches, the birds chirping in the morning, and what else. There is something inexplicable about the mountains that calms and soothes my soul. Up here, I feel blessed beyond material riches. I feel enough.
And oh yes, it looks magical when the sunset and rainbows complement the mostly green scenery.
While mountain peaks and curves are a common sight for us almost every day, it still fascinates me to see similar ones in other places.
I could go on and on but it would make me sound like a broken record. Perhaps what I'm trying to say can be summed up like this:
The mountain is where my heart is. It's home. It makes a better human out of me. It is where I feel the 'me.'
What about you? Where do you feel 'you'? Down by the sea or up in the mountains? I invite you to check out the Ladies of Hive community and the week's prompt and share with us your thoughts too :)
All photos are mine. Similar ones may have been shared previously. 29072024/22:30 UTC