Close your eyes,
Picture a happy place,
What do you picture?

A combination of nature and humanscape, where Nature meets Man and vice-versa, magic happens for me at that intersection—the conflict a place where stories begin.

Cobblestones with wildflowers, grass bursting from the seams, bridges with creeks underneath, next to houses that have potted plants in disarray, blurring the sharp edges of their walls.

I think of the powerlines next to my Mom's house, I think of exploring the woods with Hana, of the brick path disappearing into the lake. I think of the hideaway shrines Will and I discovered in Kyoto. I think of “Howl's Moving Castle” and of the gardens next to flowing canals in Oxford.

I think of lazy summers, bugs chirping, and blue skies—of the wind in the trees a hot haze as the promise of summer unfolds—lazy yet energetic, as if the world lays back so that the children within can be let loose to play.

Rainy Day Volumes Act I: Summer