The Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens

It was mid afternoon in January, and I was driving around the hills of Santa Barbara with the windows down and the ocean breeze was transporting my mind to happier places.

I eventually find the Botanical Gardens I was told about. Five and a half miles of hiking trails that take you through the varied landscapes that California has to offer.

Yet it’s the sunlight that transposes this place into a magical wonder on this day. Soft warmth cascades down, from the redwood trees to the Japanese gardens.

Back then I was still reeling from the reality of our new President, as was most of California. The peace here helps to keep me calm in this new Trump era.

I focus on the light between the trees, the sun that forever shines and always rises to signal the beginning of a new day. It’s constant revolution around our planet helps to keep me centered in an uncertain future.

I can always find a peaceful homecoming in Nature.