Feeling Solitude

When I lived in Chicago, I would often leave the confines of the city to find an open space in nature where I could feel solitude. And even though there were many forest preserves available for walking, up to eight million other people were also trying to connect with the natural world in those spaces.

I remember that feeling, which is why it was so wonderful to fly to the small town of Glasgow, Montana from a plane that only carried one other passenger. During the hour-and-a-half flight from Billings, I excitedly looked out the window. There was barely a building in sight. As we touched down I could see our Subaru in the tiny parking lot and my husband waving from the airport window—he was the only person inside.

The next day we drove a lonely road to Glacier National Park and saw a grizzly bear within the first five minutes of being there. Admittedly, the park was crowded in some spots, but there was an overall feeling of breathing fresh, clean air.

We looked at riotous fields of flowers in every color of the spectrum.

Walked to waterfalls.

Hiked past intriguing tree trunks along dappled trails.

Sat by rivers. Noticed how clear and pure water can be.

We felt solitude—together.

Photos © Sondra Sula; plane photo © Rob Sula.

If you like these blogs, you’ll most likely enjoy my daily devotional book, Meditations on Mendocino by Sondra Sula. Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle versions. Now also available at The Mendocino Book Company in downtown Ukiah, California.