Where I've been hiding lately... is here. Without question this is my favorite place to work and write and dream, soaking in the sun, particularly this time of year. Quite conducive to dreaming, wouldn't you say? If you aren't familiar it's the Dallas Arboretum. This particular spot is a lovely patio area overlooking White Rock Lake, the downtown Dallas skyline just in the distance.
Josh and I are members and it's only 5 minutes from our house, so I make it a point to go at least once or twice a week. A book, a journal, a blanket, maybe a snack or a kombucha... my perfect day. Sometimes I stay for hours.
When I was a kid I was absolutely fascinated by The Secret Garden. On weekdays the Arboretum gets little to no traffic so it feels totally private and secluded. Dreamer that I am, of course I pretend it's my own secret garden, of sorts. The vivid colors, the gorgeous floral scents, the warm Spring sun and cool breeze off the water... It has a totally therapeutic, healing effect. I can't get enough. It quite literally does something to my soul.
As a teenager I travelled to Europe for the very first time and as soon as I set eyes on Holland, I fell instantly in love. At that point I'd seen a good bit of the world already, but something about Europe captured my soul. It's truly been a love affair ever since. I was there in April while the tulips were blooming so I've forever associated the two. This time of year at the Arboretum, 500,000 tulip bulbs are springing up in every vibrant color and shade imaginable, entirely reminiscent of the Netherlands.
With it's fountains and benches and patches of lush, green grass as far as the eye can see... it's both a secret garden and Europe in my own backyard, perfection in a thousand ways.
If you've never visited the Dallas Arboretum during Dallas Blooms (when all the tulips are blooming) I certainly suggest you make it happen in the next couple of weeks. Take a picnic and a blanket and someone you love, and consider it a mini-vacation. Don’t forget your camera!
PS-I'll be posting a ton more pictures in a bit, just in case you need more convincing... ;-)