Yesterday I had a moment of pure zen. It was absolutely beautiful. I was driving on Old Creek Road, between Highway 1 and Highway 46. I had all the windows down and the sunroof open; what really made the difference was my random decision to turn off the stereo, which I NEVER do when driving. It made all the difference in the world.What followed was a complete and total sensory overload. All five of my senses were being concurrently bombarded with input, in a way that I've never really experienced before. I'll attempt to break it down for you;
Sight: The drive along Old Creek Road is pretty spectacular to begin with, featuring heavily wooded areas, a stretch along a cliff overlooking Whale Rock Reservoir, various orchards and pastures, etc. On top of that, as it's transitioning to Autumn, the colors of the plant life were striking. Tons of green (obviously), but many shades of yellow, orange and red as well. It didn't hurt that I was the only car on the road, either.
Sound: Again, turning the stereo off was the clincher here. With the windows all down and the sunroof open, the sound of the wind rushing by was intense. Along with that, the complementary sounds of nature were amazing. The rustling of leaves, the chirping of birds, neighing of horses, etc. all contributed to the experience.
Smell: "Fresh" is really the only word that captures what I'm looking for as a descriptor. The obvious plant life was the main feature here, but the chill crispness of the air (the temperature was right around 68 degrees) had its own aroma, akin to the sweet sting of mint.
Taste: Yes, taste was even a factor here. The cold air carried on it the flavors autumn, and with each inhaled breath I tasted the surrounding wildlife. PS - I was not on drugs.
Touch: The bite of the cool afternoon air combined with the sensation transmitted from the road through the car were unbelievable. Add to that the adrenaline coursing through my bloodstream as I was driving a car that was designed for precision handling at high speeds, and it was like being in another world.
All in all, it was only a fifteen minute experience, but it stuck with me for the rest of the day. It completely changed my mood for the better, and I can't wait to do it again.
