Sometimes life rushes by so quickly I have to remind myself to just breathe. So to slow things down a little this week, here are some photos that remind me to take things easy once in a while. The ocean is an instant de-stressor for me, and this photo taken along the Long Island shoreline makes me want to breathe in those feel good seaside scents.

The forest has also been a place of refuge for me; I grew up next to a small pine forest and spent much of my childhood exploring the shady, pine-needle cushioned nooks and crannies of that ancient woodland. This photo was taken on a rainy day on the Trail of Two Forests at Mount St. Helens volcano. I can almost smell the damp earth.

When in doubt, look to a cat for advice. They will inevitably remind you to take a deep breath and never sweat the small stuff.

So, take a deep breath and get ready with your own interpretation of this week’s theme. If you would like to join in the weekly travel theme (everyone’s welcome!) here’s what to do:

• Create your own post and title it Travel theme: Breathe
• Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
• Get your post in by next Thursday, as the new travel theme comes out on Friday
• Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up to date on the latest weekly travel themes. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS.

And breathe!

xxx Ailsa

Spring won’t let me stay in this house any longer! I must get out and breathe the air deeply again. – Gustav Mahler

We breathe, we think, we conceive of our lives as narratives.  – Christopher Lehmann-Haupt