In the middle of nowhere, exactly where I needed to be, I found a tree. Behind it, a mountain. Behind that, only sky.

The place, as remote as any I've lived in, and the time - well, somewhere between sundown and dawn. The air was crisp and the only sound, besides my own heartbeat, was none at all. Kind of made me feel alone in the world. That's not a feeling I mind, mind.

I stayed with the tree and listened to the silence for a few minutes, as I let the beauty of the moment soak through my skin and eyes. I walked across the mountain's side and down its back, eventually coming in from the cloudless night, to settle, a steep hill up from the river. My body was tired, but my mind was wide awake, and the solitude felt like opportunity.

Guess I can't explain it. Maybe you had to be there.

Yeah, it bugs me, too. Just let it go.