Greg and I were sitting on our patio the other day enjoying the perfect spring weather and chatting about everything and nothing. A playlist we created was shuffling well-loved songs when Jimmy Buffet’s “One Particular Harbor” came on. The lag in our conversation was replaced with an impromptu sing-along … and spark of a new topic.
As I listened to the words, I wondered where our particular harbor is – that one place where you go that feels safe and protected from external forces and allows a relaxed, easy pace for getting away from everyday life.
I mentioned a favorite of mine, my best friend’s mom’s home. Pauline was British so when she became my second mom (we all have one of those, don’t we?) we all called her “Mummy.” Stepping across her threshold on a visit, I could feel the stress leave my body. Everything about her home was welcoming and accepting. It’s no surprise Greg chose a visit there to propose to me.
For many, “home” is like that. It’s the one place we can relax. It’s a little different for military kids. Growing up like a nomad home was wherever we were all together. After graduation from high school, though, going home was going to a place I’d never been before. My dad had been reassigned so my parents moved while I was away at college. I didn’t know the neighborhood. I didn’t have any friends nearby. It lacked that “one particular harbor” feeling.
As someone who craves travel, I’ve been able to create pockets of that feeling in dozens of places. There was the afternoon on the patio of our hotel in Tuscany. We sipped glasses of wine, felt the easy afternoon breeze and chatted about our good fortune to be in that particular place, at that particular time.. It was relaxed,easy, and safe. Just like Jimmy’s song: … there’s that one particular harbor, Sheltered from the wind, Where the children play on the shore each day, And all are safe within …
Sitting on our patio, we started thinking of other places we’d been where we’d been able to capture that feeling. Naturally, our current setting topped the list. We’ve created a cozy, comfy place to sit and watch the sun cross the sky.
There was also the aft deck of the private yacht as we cruised the Greek Islands. When other passengers went ashore for an afternoon, we opted to stay behind. We sat on that deck, in an actual protected harbor, and listened to the water lapping against the side of the boat. Occasionally a crew member would poke their head out and ask if we needed anything, but for a couple of hours we were essentially alone. Ahhhhh.
We captured that feeling several times in Switzerland. In the middle of winter, we took a telecabine (gondola) to the top of the ski runs. It was the middle of a week and the mountaintop restaurant was empty. We skied a few runs, then retreated to a table for a beer and wurst. We enjoyed the view, marveled at how few other people were on the slopes and reveled in the peace and quiet. Years later, in the middle of summer, we sat at a hotel bar in Montreux, sipping cocktails, people-watching, and gazing upon the gorgeous Lac Leman and mountains beyond.
That’s often the point of a vacation, right? We leave the hustle and bustle of everyday life in search of a place we can unwind and de-stress.That’s not everyone’s goal — some would rather golf 18 holes, others might race a mountain bike down a pine-lined single track, or simply fill their days with action-packed sightseeing. If that’s you, cool.
Because there’s a whole world out there waiting to be explored. Find joy in whatever you do. You’ll find us in that one particular harbor, sipping a glass of wine.
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