Where My Body Exhales ~

I didn’t realize how much I was holding my breath until I arrived here, somewhere tucked into the Western Sierras where the land rolls differently, where the trees grow taller and closer together, where the light feels softer, less sharp, more forgiving.

I am staying in a tiny home; one I have returned to more than once because something in me recognizes itself here. The floor plan is simple, thoughtful, spacious in all the right ways, and for the first time in a long while, I can imagine my own home mirroring this one, not just in structure, but in feeling. Less excess, more intention, fewer corners to hide in.

The topography is different from where I’ve been. The flora changes the air; even the soil smells richer. And nature speaks louder here, not in chaos, but in clarity. The trees don’t rush, the wind doesn’t argue, the ground feels steady beneath my feet. It reminds me of the storm I once wrote about: how broken landscapes still grow again, how healing happens in quiet, not spectacle.

This place feels like the in-between made gentle, like winter soil resting, preparing for something unnamed. I think of the riverbanks, of roots cracking stone, of seeds waiting for the right conditions, and I realize my body finally believes the ground will hold me.

I have written about doubt, about privacy, about seasons, about not knowing where I belong. And now, standing here, I feel something shift. Not certainty, not answers, but peace. A soft yes inside my chest.

Perhaps this is what finding my place means; not permanence, but resonance. Not arriving, but exhaling.

And maybe, just maybe;, this land is teaching me how to live in my own shape again, without apology, without force, without fear.

For now, this is enough.

~ julie

If you feel so inclined, please reply with your thoughts.

Note: JM Lane is NOT a mental health professional, nor does she carry a license to practice medicine. Posts, blogs, and content are based on JM Lane’s personal experiences, perceptions, and reflections. By no means does any material convey what others should or should not do.