Finding peace and serenity in unexpected places during the quarantine.

I never knew my house before… until it became my world. 

I’ve walked the rooms a million times over, but I never really appreciated it, or the surroundings I call my neighborhood. 

Now, because of Covid-19, it’s my everything. It’s become my refuge, my serenity, my safe haven. It’s become my workspace, my afternoon café, my backyard retreat, and holds a sacred place where my soul lives.

I began taking daily walks to replace the gym. It’s my daily Zen.

Each morning and evening, I venture out, navigating the sidewalks leading to the trails behind my neighborhood. Miraculously, it opens up to a wildlife preserve.

You’d never know it was devastated by a wind-driven fire last October. But it is green again. The wildflowers are in full bloom, and it feels as though I’m seeing them for the first time. Maybe I never noticed when I drove by in my...