There is such joy in solitude, in surrounding yourself with quiet moments, sewn together with drawn out daydreams.

It’s hard to find.

I find myself clamoring to make friends, be social, and stay busy in this new city of mine. I spent my SXSW in the comfort of old friends, flirting shamelessly with recklessness and questionable decisions. My life has been loud lately, filled with long nights and heavy mornings.

My soul was beginning to feel cloudy, like a window in need of a good cleaning.  Thank heavens for my sister and the fact that her boss has a ranch on 45 acres in Wimberley, Texas. When Pants (aka sister) told me we could go to the ranch for the weekend, my heart skipped a beat. I had yet to venture outside of Austin, and the thought of exploring the big Texas sky was swoon-worthy.

45 minutes away is paradise. Literal heaven. I wandered around the property squealing at how I had discovered all that I needed to claim bliss. The house sits at the top of Texas hill country. The loudest things are the humming birds, dipping in every now and again to feed. My pup can run free, his long pink tongue dangling out of his mouth as he stands guard of the porch. The house has big windows and an even bigger porch.

I sat barefoot in the sunset and felt everything inside of me smile.

Something deep within me screams to be a country girl.  When my sister suggested I become the caretaker of the property, I considered forgetting everything I have created for myself and running to live out my fantasy of being a farmer.

I imagine there’s some kind of magic in tending your garden, caring for your animals and going to sleep at 8 pm out of sheer exhaustion. A very big part of me feels that could be the life for me.

Needless to say, I spent the weekend light on my feet. My sister and brother-in-law had to leave unexpectedly, and asked if I wanted to go back to the city with them. I shook my head and spent the day alone, reading an entire novel and drinking tea on the porch while the dogs chased each other around the property as if they had never heard the word ‘leash’ before.

I listened to a Neil Young record on repeat and wrote down all those silly thoughts that have cluttered my brain. I walked the property, two puppies at my heels, panting in the late afternoon heat.

Whiskey Ranch is where I will seek peace. It’ll become my refuge when I find my heart confused, my brain tired or my soul weary. This is where I’ll find my happiness in silent mornings, sun drenched hound dogs and fruit salad in the sunshine.

Berry Breakfast Bowl

This is one of the recipes that isn’t really a recipe, just more a smattering of delicious fruits thrown together and topped with granola. What can I say? I didn’t have time to do much cooking at the ranch. I kept things simple.

• 1/2 cup raspberries
• 1 cup strawberries, cut in quarters
• 1/2 grapefruit, quartered
• 1 banana, cut into rounds
• 1/2 orange, quartered
• 1/4 cup granola

Cut these delicious things up, throw in a bowl and add granola. Like I said, not much of a recipe. Oops.