WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:05.440 Tonight's story is something very special. A week on the 2 00:00:05.559 --> 00:00:10.400 island cottage. This is our longest journey yet. We'll spend 3 00:00:10.439 --> 00:00:13.759 an entire week on a small island, living simply in 4 00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:18.359 a cottage by the sea. Seven days of peace, solitude, nature, 5 00:00:18.440 --> 00:00:24.199 and deep rest. There is no prod, no trauma, no tension, 6 00:00:24.760 --> 00:00:29.399 just the gentle rhythm of day's passing tides, changing, weather shifting, 7 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:32.799 and the profound piece that comes from being alone in 8 00:00:32.840 --> 00:00:36.960 a beautiful place with nothing you need to do. Get very, 9 00:00:37.079 --> 00:00:40.119 very comfortable. You have nowhere to be for the next 10 00:00:40.200 --> 00:00:44.719 three hours. Just rest. Breathe, Let go close your eyes. 11 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:48.759 Take a slow, deep breath in, hold it gently and 12 00:00:48.880 --> 00:00:53.960 release it completely. Let's begin this long, peaceful journey together. 13 00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:58.039 You're standing on a wooden dock, a small tuffel bag 14 00:00:58.159 --> 00:01:01.520 at your feet, watching a boat disappear across the water. 15 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:05.000 The boatman who brought you here is heading back to 16 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:08.359 the mainland, and you won't see him again until next 17 00:01:08.439 --> 00:01:12.879 Sunday when he returns to collect you. Seven days, one 18 00:01:12.920 --> 00:01:17.319 week alone on this small island. The island is tiny, 19 00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:21.280 mainly half a mile across at its widest point, mostly 20 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:25.879 rocky coastline and scobby vegetation with a few windsweet trees 21 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:29.599 that have learned to grow sideways shaped by decades of 22 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:33.959 prevailing winds. And there, about one hundred yards up from 23 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:38.640 the dock sits the cottage. It's small and simple, whitewashed 24 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:42.879 stone walls, a slate roof, two small windows facing the sea. 25 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:47.439 A blue painted ball. Smoke rises from the chimney. The 26 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:51.680 cartaker was here this morning, laying a fire for your arrival, 27 00:01:52.280 --> 00:01:55.879 making sure everything was ready. You pick up your back 28 00:01:56.000 --> 00:01:59.519 and walk up the rough path toward the cottage. The 29 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:03.359 path is made of crushed shells and small stones, winding 30 00:02:03.400 --> 00:02:07.439 between patches of wild grass and low shrubs. The ear 31 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:12.479 smells of salt and seaweed and wild herbs. Goals cry 32 00:02:12.599 --> 00:02:17.680 overhead wheeling and diving in the afternoon breeze. The cottage 33 00:02:17.719 --> 00:02:22.280 door is unlocked. You push it open and step inside. 34 00:02:22.520 --> 00:02:26.639 One room essentially a small kitchen area in one corner, 35 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:29.800 with a gas stove, a sink, a few cupboards, a 36 00:02:29.879 --> 00:02:33.159 sitting area with two arm chairs and a small table 37 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:37.360 near the fireplace. The sleeping alcove with a simple iron 38 00:02:37.439 --> 00:02:40.759 beat covered in pots. A door leads to a tiny 39 00:02:40.840 --> 00:02:44.240 bathroom just a toilet, a sink and a shower. But 40 00:02:44.439 --> 00:02:47.960 the windows, The windows make the space ful larger than 41 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:50.960 it is. Through them, you can see the ocean stretching 42 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:54.639 to the horizon, pinkless, blue gray water under an endless sky. 43 00:02:55.439 --> 00:02:58.360 You sit your bag on the bed and on back slowly. 44 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:02.520 It didn't green right clothes, a few books, some basics. 45 00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:11.280 The caretaker liftsurpries in the kitchen, greg butter, eggs, cheese, vegetables, tea, coffee, pasta, rice, 46 00:03:11.879 --> 00:03:15.199 enough for a week of simple meals. When your things 47 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:17.960 are put away, you make yourself a cup of tea 48 00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:21.120 and stand at the window looking out at the ocean. 49 00:03:21.639 --> 00:03:25.360 The water is chopping today, white cupped waves rolling in, 50 00:03:25.759 --> 00:03:29.319 breaking on the rocky shore. The sound is constant, a 51 00:03:29.479 --> 00:03:32.599 rhythmic roar and his that will be the soundtrack to 52 00:03:32.680 --> 00:03:37.360 your entire week. Here, the afternoon is wearing on toward evening. 53 00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:41.280 The sun is low, painting the water with cold light. 54 00:03:41.919 --> 00:03:46.199 We drink your tea slowly, just standing, just looking, just being. 55 00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:50.759 This is it. This is your week, seven days with 56 00:03:50.919 --> 00:03:54.960 no schedule, no obligations, no one to answer to, just 57 00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:58.360 you and the island and the sea and time. You 58 00:03:58.439 --> 00:04:01.680 feel something released in san guide you some tension you 59 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:05.479 didn't even know you were carrying. Your shoulders drop, Your 60 00:04:05.560 --> 00:04:10.960 breathing deepens. You're here, You've arrived. You can finally completely rest. 61 00:04:11.719 --> 00:04:15.599 The fire in the fireplace is burning low. You add 62 00:04:15.639 --> 00:04:20.079 another log, coaxing it back to life. The wood catches 63 00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:25.720 and flames dance, casting warm, flickering light across the room. Outside, 64 00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:30.480 the day is fading into dusk. You're hungry now. You 65 00:04:30.600 --> 00:04:35.680 make yourself a simple dinner, scrambled eggs toast, but thematos 66 00:04:35.720 --> 00:04:38.839 sliced and salted. You eat sitting in one of the 67 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:42.040 arm chairs by the fire, looking out the window at 68 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:46.399 the darkening sky. After dinner, you wash your few dishes 69 00:04:46.439 --> 00:04:50.759 and put them away. The routine feels good, grounding, simple 70 00:04:50.920 --> 00:04:55.439 tasks done slowly and with gear. Night has fallen fully. 71 00:04:55.519 --> 00:04:59.240 Now through the window you can see stores beginning to appear, 72 00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:02.240 so many stors, more than you ever see at home. 73 00:05:02.800 --> 00:05:05.759 Out here, with no light pollution, the sky is alive 74 00:05:05.839 --> 00:05:09.480 with them. You're tired from traveling from the boat right 75 00:05:09.639 --> 00:05:12.959 from the day. You're ready for sleep. You're change in 76 00:05:13.000 --> 00:05:16.680 the pajamas and climbing the bed. The sheets are cool 77 00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:20.399 and crisp, that quilts heavy and warm. You can hear 78 00:05:20.439 --> 00:05:24.319 the ocean, constant and soothing. You can hear the wind 79 00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:28.040 rustling through the grass outside. You can hear the old 80 00:05:28.120 --> 00:05:33.680 cottage settling, wood creaking gently. You close your eyes. Your 81 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:38.000 first night on the island, six more days ahead, a 82 00:05:38.040 --> 00:05:42.759 week of peace stretching before you, like a gift, and 83 00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:48.680 you sleep. You wake to light, sunlight streaming through the windows, 84 00:05:48.759 --> 00:05:53.079 warm and golden. You lie still for a moment, orienting 85 00:05:53.160 --> 00:05:58.319 yourself the cottage, the island, the sound of waves. You 86 00:05:58.439 --> 00:06:01.839 get up, slowly, no rush, and go through the window. 87 00:06:02.480 --> 00:06:07.319 The morning is beautiful, most clear sky, colm sea, the 88 00:06:07.360 --> 00:06:11.800 water a thousand shades of blue. The wind has dropped overnight. 89 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:17.480 Everything is peaceful, still perfect. You trees in comfortable clothes 90 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:22.040 and make yourself breakfast. Coffee, toast with butter and jam 91 00:06:22.480 --> 00:06:26.480 a banana. You eat standing at the window, watching the ocean, 92 00:06:26.600 --> 00:06:31.480 watching gulls ride the morning thermals. After breakfast, you decide 93 00:06:31.519 --> 00:06:35.319 to explore the island properly. You pull on walking shoes 94 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:39.199 and the light jacket and head outside. The morning is 95 00:06:39.319 --> 00:06:42.519 cool but pleasant. The sun is warm on your face. 96 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:46.920 You follow a rough path that circles the island's coastline, 97 00:06:47.240 --> 00:06:51.839 walking slowly, stopping often to look at things. The island 98 00:06:51.920 --> 00:06:55.000 is bigger than you thought. It takes nearly an hour 99 00:06:55.160 --> 00:06:58.120 to walk all the way around it, and that's without 100 00:06:58.160 --> 00:07:02.879 stopping to explore. There are smooth beaches of pebbles and shells. 101 00:07:03.240 --> 00:07:07.279 There are rocky outcrops where the waves crash dramatically. There 102 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:12.680 are tight pools filled with small creatures, tiny fish, grabs, starfish, 103 00:07:12.959 --> 00:07:17.279 and emonies. You crutch beside one tight pool and watch 104 00:07:17.399 --> 00:07:23.240 its miniature ecosystem. The hermit crabs cuttles across the bottom. 105 00:07:23.399 --> 00:07:27.480 A small fish dorts between rocks. When nimmos wave their 106 00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:32.000 dentacles gently in the water. It's a whole world, complete 107 00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:35.639 and self contained. On the fore side of the island, 108 00:07:35.720 --> 00:07:38.800 you find the spot where flat rocks form natural steps 109 00:07:38.839 --> 00:07:41.600 down to the water. You sit on one of these 110 00:07:41.720 --> 00:07:45.040 rocks and simply watch the ocean. The water here is 111 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:48.800 clear enough that you can see down several feet seaweed 112 00:07:48.879 --> 00:07:53.879 swaying schools of tiny silver fish the sandy bottom. You 113 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:58.000 sit for a long time, maybe twenty minutes, maybe an hour. 114 00:07:58.600 --> 00:08:04.480 Time feels different here, already, less urgent, less measure. Eventually 115 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:08.480 you continue your walk, completing the circle back to the cottage. 116 00:08:08.839 --> 00:08:11.759 The sun is high now it must be nearly new. 117 00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:15.839 Your stomach tells you it's time for lunch. You make 118 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:18.800 yourself a sandwich and eat it sitting on the small 119 00:08:18.879 --> 00:08:22.519 porch that fronts the cottage. From here you can see 120 00:08:22.519 --> 00:08:26.480 the top where you arrived yesterday, and beyond it the mountain, 121 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:30.519 a hazy line on the horizon. It feels very far away, 122 00:08:30.959 --> 00:08:35.799 another world. After lunch, you feel drowsy. The sun is warm. 123 00:08:36.039 --> 00:08:39.639 The sound of the waves is hypnotic. You go inside 124 00:08:39.720 --> 00:08:43.159 and lie down on the bed, not really meaning to sleep, 125 00:08:43.399 --> 00:08:47.720 but not fighting it either. You drift off into a light, 126 00:08:47.919 --> 00:08:51.840 pleasant nab. When you wake, an hour has passed. You 127 00:08:51.879 --> 00:08:57.159 feel rested, peaceful, slightly disported in the best way. The 128 00:08:57.279 --> 00:09:00.639 afternoon is warm and still. You decide to read. You 129 00:09:00.759 --> 00:09:03.480 take one of your books and one of the arm chairs, 130 00:09:03.720 --> 00:09:06.840 position yourself by the window where the light is best. 131 00:09:07.720 --> 00:09:11.399 You read four hours. The book is good, engaging but 132 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:15.440 not demanding, pulling you gently into its world while letting 133 00:09:15.480 --> 00:09:19.399 your surface whenever you want. Between chapters, you look up 134 00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:23.679 and out at the ocean, resting your eyes absorbing the view. 135 00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:28.960 The afternoon fades into evening, the light changes becoming softer, 136 00:09:29.559 --> 00:09:33.360 more golden. You sit down your book and start thinking 137 00:09:33.399 --> 00:09:40.360 about dinner. Tonight. You make pasta with a simple sauce, nim, tomatoes, garlic, herbs. 138 00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:44.240 You cook slowly, not because the recipe demands it, but 139 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:47.720 because there's no reason to rush. The kitchen fills with 140 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:51.799 the warm smell of cooking garlic and tomatoes. You eat 141 00:09:51.840 --> 00:09:54.799 your dinner at the small table, reading more of your 142 00:09:54.840 --> 00:09:59.720 book between bites. After dinner, you wash up, put everything away, 143 00:10:00.200 --> 00:10:04.480 clocks to the fire. The evening is peaceful. You sit 144 00:10:04.519 --> 00:10:07.799 by the fire and finish your tea, looking out at 145 00:10:07.840 --> 00:10:12.080 the darkening ocean. The lighthouse on the distant mainland begins 146 00:10:12.120 --> 00:10:16.840 its nightly rotations, the distant pulse of light sweeping across 147 00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:21.879 the water every few seconds. You're tired again, pleasantly tired. 148 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:25.279 The days walking and fresh air, and the general peace 149 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:28.679 of this place have left you ready for sleep. You 150 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:33.000 go through your evening routine, brush your teeth, change into pajamas. 151 00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:36.279 The cottage is warm from the fire, but you can 152 00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:39.240 feel the coolness of the night air seeping in through 153 00:10:39.279 --> 00:10:43.039 the walls. In bed, you lies lessening to the ocean. 154 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:46.600 The sound is slightly different tonight, the tide must be different, 155 00:10:46.879 --> 00:10:51.799 or the wind or something. But it's still soothing, still constant. 156 00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:56.559 Your second night on the island, five more days, you're 157 00:10:56.600 --> 00:11:00.120 already feeling the rhythm of this place, the slow, easy 158 00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:04.200 of days. More by sunrise and sunset, by meals and 159 00:11:04.279 --> 00:11:10.000 walks and wrist You sleep deeply, treamlessly, thoroughly. You wake 160 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:13.440 to the sound of rain, not heavy rain, but steady, 161 00:11:13.559 --> 00:11:17.080 gentle rain, grumming on the roof, pattering against the windows. 162 00:11:17.960 --> 00:11:21.639 You get up and look outside. The sky is gray, 163 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:25.759 low clouds hanging heavy over the island. The ocean is 164 00:11:25.840 --> 00:11:30.440 great to its surface, fog with rain drops. Everything is 165 00:11:30.519 --> 00:11:35.080 soft and muted and wet and wet. A rainy day 166 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:39.960 on the island perfect. You make yourself a pot of tea, 167 00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:43.480 a full pot, knowing you'll brink several cups on a 168 00:11:43.519 --> 00:11:46.519 day like this. You add logs to the fire that's 169 00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:50.679 burnt down to embush overnight, coaxing it back to life. 170 00:11:51.159 --> 00:11:54.240 With your tea and the fire going, you settle into 171 00:11:54.279 --> 00:11:57.279 the arm chair with a could wrapped around your shoulders. 172 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:00.799 You have your book, you have your tea, You have 173 00:12:00.919 --> 00:12:03.519 the sound of rain and the warmth of the fire. 174 00:12:04.039 --> 00:12:07.720 You need nothing else. You read, You look out the 175 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:11.279 window at the rain. You drink tea, You add logs 176 00:12:11.320 --> 00:12:16.440 to the fire. Hours passing this peaceful way, around midday 177 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:21.840 you get hungry. You make yourself soup kneeded vegetable soup 178 00:12:22.200 --> 00:12:26.279 heated on the stove, served with thick slices of buttered bread. 179 00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:30.360 You eat slowly, standing at the window, watching the rain. 180 00:12:31.159 --> 00:12:34.840 The rain continues all afternoon. It's the kind of brain 181 00:12:34.919 --> 00:12:39.799 that feels like it could go on forever, steady, unhurried, thorough, 182 00:12:40.360 --> 00:12:43.480 the kind of rain that makes everything slow down, that 183 00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:47.480 makes inside feel extra cozy, that makes you grateful for 184 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:51.960 shelter and growth. You spend the afternoon reading and dozing 185 00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:55.039 by the fire. At some point you realize you haven't 186 00:12:55.080 --> 00:12:59.639 spoken a single word out loud all day, not since yesterday. Really, 187 00:13:00.080 --> 00:13:03.759 your voice is resting, along with everything else. The rain 188 00:13:03.840 --> 00:13:07.240 begins to ease toward the evening. By the time you're 189 00:13:07.240 --> 00:13:11.000 making dinner, a simple stir fry of vegetables and rice, 190 00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:15.360 it stopped completely. The clouds are breaking up, showing patches 191 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:19.519 of clear sky. After dinner, you put on your jacket 192 00:13:19.720 --> 00:13:23.639 and go outside for a short walk. Everything is wet 193 00:13:23.720 --> 00:13:28.480 and fresh, the grass pockles with rain drops. The earsmells clean, 194 00:13:28.919 --> 00:13:33.360 washed new. The ocean has calmed, the rain having flattened 195 00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:37.279 its waves into gentle swells. You walk down to the 196 00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:41.279 shore and stand listening to the water. The sun has set, 197 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:45.000 but there's still light in the sky, that long, lingering 198 00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:49.440 twilight of early summer. The clouds are peering quickly now, 199 00:13:49.720 --> 00:13:53.519 and you can see stores appearing in the caps. You 200 00:13:53.639 --> 00:13:57.320 return to the cottage as night falls. Fully. You're wet 201 00:13:57.360 --> 00:14:00.279 from the grass and the lingering moisture in the air, 202 00:14:00.440 --> 00:14:04.799 but pleasantly so. You change into dry clothes and make 203 00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:08.879 yourself a final cup of tea. The fire is burning 204 00:14:08.919 --> 00:14:12.279 low again. You add more locks, enough to last through 205 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:15.720 the evening. You settle in with your tea and watch 206 00:14:15.759 --> 00:14:20.399 the flame stars. The day has been so quiet, so peaceful. 207 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:25.720 Nothing happened really. You read, you ate, you watch the rain, 208 00:14:25.960 --> 00:14:30.039 you rest it. But somehow it was exactly right, exactly 209 00:14:30.080 --> 00:14:33.559 what you needed. You're learning already how to live in 210 00:14:33.679 --> 00:14:37.799 island time, how to let our bars without tracking them, 211 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:41.840 how to find contentment in the simplest things. When you 212 00:14:41.960 --> 00:14:44.759 really forbid, you bank the fire for the night and 213 00:14:44.919 --> 00:14:48.320 make your way to the sleeping outcome. The cottage is 214 00:14:48.440 --> 00:14:52.720 cozy and wore. Outside. The night is clear, now, stars 215 00:14:52.840 --> 00:14:56.679 visible through the window. Your third night on the island, 216 00:14:57.120 --> 00:15:01.639 four more days ahead. You're not down, You're not wishing 217 00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:05.799 to stay longer. You're just here, present, grateful for each 218 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:10.120 day as it comes. Sleep comes easily carried on the 219 00:15:10.200 --> 00:15:13.360 sound of gentle waves and the worms of the cottage. 220 00:15:13.960 --> 00:15:18.000 You wake early today, just after dawn. The light is 221 00:15:18.120 --> 00:15:22.279 pale and new, the day fresh and full of possibility. 222 00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:26.000 You treze and make coffee, then take it outside to 223 00:15:26.039 --> 00:15:29.639 watch the sunrise properly. You sit on the porch steps, 224 00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:33.240 your hands wrapped around the wall mug, and watch as 225 00:15:33.240 --> 00:15:38.799 the sun climbs about the eastern horizon. The sunrise is spectacular. 226 00:15:39.480 --> 00:15:42.960 The sky turns from gray to pink to cold to 227 00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:48.559 blue in a slow, majestic transformation. The ocean catches the 228 00:15:48.679 --> 00:15:54.440 collars and throws them back pink waves, cold foam, blue 229 00:15:54.519 --> 00:15:59.720 green depths. You sit through the entire sunrise, not moving badly, 230 00:16:00.840 --> 00:16:04.879 just witnessing. When the sun is fully up and the 231 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:10.440 day properly begun, you go inside and make yourself breakfast. 232 00:16:11.240 --> 00:16:16.080 Today you feel like doing something more active. You decide 233 00:16:16.120 --> 00:16:20.480 to really explore the island, not just the coastline, but 234 00:16:20.600 --> 00:16:25.240 the interior. After breakfast, you put on sturdy shoes and 235 00:16:25.360 --> 00:16:28.360 full of water bottle. You take an apple and a 236 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:32.320 handful of nuts in your pocket. You're going on an adventure, 237 00:16:32.440 --> 00:16:36.480 island style. The center of the island is hillier than 238 00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:41.120 you expected. Rough bats wing between low bushes and rocks, 239 00:16:41.480 --> 00:16:44.799 you climb upward, following what seems to be an old trail, 240 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:48.519 perhaps made by the island's sheep. You've seen a few 241 00:16:48.600 --> 00:16:52.720 small sheep raising here and there, the descendants of animals 242 00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:57.080 brought here decades ago and now living wild. The climb 243 00:16:57.120 --> 00:16:59.960 takes about twenty minutes and brings you to the highest 244 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:03.080 point of the island. From here, you can see the 245 00:17:03.240 --> 00:17:08.240 entire island spread below you, the cottage, the dock, the coastline, 246 00:17:08.440 --> 00:17:12.240 every beach and cough beyond it, all ocean in every 247 00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:17.079 direction to stretching to the horizon. The view is extraordinary. 248 00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:19.839 You feel like you're standing on top of the world, 249 00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:22.640 or at least on top of your own small world. 250 00:17:23.519 --> 00:17:26.480 You sit on a flat rock and eat your apple, 251 00:17:26.839 --> 00:17:29.920 looking out at the view. A few sheep preys on 252 00:17:29.960 --> 00:17:34.880 the hillside below. Gulf Circle overhead, the wind is stronger, 253 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:38.839 appear steady and fresh. You sit for a long time, 254 00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:43.599 maybe an hour, just absorbing this place, the beauty of it, 255 00:17:43.960 --> 00:17:47.920 the simplicity of it, the way it exists, completely separate 256 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:52.839 from everything else, its own world, its own reality. Eventually 257 00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:55.119 you make your way back down the hill by a 258 00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:59.240 different route. You find a small spring of fresh water 259 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:03.000 bubbling out of the rocks, forming a tiny book before 260 00:18:03.079 --> 00:18:07.160 trickling away downhill. You taste the water. It's cold and 261 00:18:07.279 --> 00:18:12.119 clean and slightly mineral. You discover an old stone structure, 262 00:18:12.359 --> 00:18:15.599 just a few walls still standing, nearly collapsed, covered in 263 00:18:15.720 --> 00:18:19.720 moss and lichen. Perhaps it was another cottage once decades 264 00:18:19.839 --> 00:18:24.480 or centuries ago, or perhaps a shelter for shepherds. It's 265 00:18:24.519 --> 00:18:27.880 impossible to know. You set in what was once the 266 00:18:27.960 --> 00:18:31.240 doorway and imagine the people who might have sat here 267 00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:35.039 before you, looking out at the same ocean, breathing the 268 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:39.039 same air. By the time you get back to the cottage, 269 00:18:39.160 --> 00:18:42.759 it's best name, and you're hungry and time in the 270 00:18:42.759 --> 00:18:46.279 best way. You make yourself lunch and eat it slowly, 271 00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:51.400 letting your body wrist. After the morning's exertion. The afternoon 272 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:54.480 is warm and drossy. You take your book outside and 273 00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:57.319 read on the porch, the sun warm on your face. 274 00:18:57.960 --> 00:19:01.160 At some point you fall asleep right there, the book 275 00:19:01.240 --> 00:19:04.519 falling closed on your lap, your head deep back against 276 00:19:04.519 --> 00:19:09.079 the cottage wall. You wake an hour later, slightly sunburned 277 00:19:09.160 --> 00:19:14.000 and completely content. The rest of the afternoon passes quietly. 278 00:19:14.599 --> 00:19:19.119 You move between inside and outside, between reading and simply 279 00:19:19.240 --> 00:19:23.720 sitting and looking. You're learning how to do nothing, truly nothing, 280 00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:28.079 without feeling guilty or riskless. Evening comes. You make a 281 00:19:28.119 --> 00:19:31.839 simple dinner and eat it watching the sunset. The sky 282 00:19:31.960 --> 00:19:36.599 puts on another show, oranges and pinks and purples, clouds 283 00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:41.279 catching fire, the whole world seeming to glow. After sunset, 284 00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:45.400 you sit outside, wrapped in a blanket, watching the stars 285 00:19:45.480 --> 00:19:49.799 come out. With no artificial light to compete with, they 286 00:19:49.839 --> 00:19:53.720 appear by the hundreds, ten thousands. The Milky Way is 287 00:19:53.720 --> 00:19:58.079 a brilliant band across the sky. You see several shooting 288 00:19:58.200 --> 00:20:03.160 stars with flashes of light streaking across the darkness. You 289 00:20:03.240 --> 00:20:07.079 stay outside until you're shivery, until the cold drives you 290 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:10.799 back inside to the warmth of the fire. Your fourth 291 00:20:10.920 --> 00:20:14.960 night on the island, three more days, you're past a 292 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:18.599 halfway point of your week. Now, the days are blending 293 00:20:18.680 --> 00:20:22.599 together in the best way, each one distinct, yet all 294 00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:26.720 of them part of a peaceful hole imbit. You're aware 295 00:20:26.759 --> 00:20:30.519 of your body in a new way. Your muscles slightly 296 00:20:30.599 --> 00:20:34.839 sore from the day's climbing, your skin warm from the sun, 297 00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:40.440 your lungs full of clean air. You feel healthy, strong, alive. 298 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:44.880 You sleep deeply, and you dream of sheep on hillsides 299 00:20:44.920 --> 00:20:48.279 and springs in rocks, and stars falling through in the sky. 300 00:20:49.079 --> 00:20:52.839 Today you wake without any desire to move. Your body 301 00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:57.000 is start from yesterday's exploration, and it's asking for rest. 302 00:20:57.839 --> 00:21:00.960 So you're rich. You make break first and eat it 303 00:21:01.039 --> 00:21:04.480 in bed, propped up on pillows, looking out the window 304 00:21:04.640 --> 00:21:07.759 at the morning ocean. Then you lie back down on 305 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:11.519 those for another hour, drifting in and out of sleep, 306 00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:16.440 perfectly content. When you finally get up properly, it's nearly 307 00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:19.880 mid day, you make tea and sit by the window, 308 00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:24.400 watching the ocean, watching clouds move across the sky, watching 309 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:29.160 absolutely nothing happen, and being perfectly happy about it. You're 310 00:21:29.240 --> 00:21:33.200 learning that rest isn't just about sleeping. It's about doing lease, 311 00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:37.839 moving slower, letting time pass without filling it with activities 312 00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:43.640 that day unfold slowly, peacefully. You read a little, You 313 00:21:43.720 --> 00:21:47.759 sit a lot. You make simple meals and eat them slowly. 314 00:21:48.400 --> 00:21:51.440 You watch the light change as the sun moves across 315 00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:55.160 the sky. In the afternoon, you sit outside on the 316 00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:58.599 porch and simply listen. You listen to the ocean, how 317 00:21:58.640 --> 00:22:02.279 the sound changes with each wave, as some crash lud 318 00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:06.119 and others whisper shoft. You listen to the wind, how 319 00:22:06.119 --> 00:22:09.480 it gusts and lulls, how it makes different sounds in 320 00:22:09.519 --> 00:22:13.680 different grasses. You listen to the gulls, the distant sheet, 321 00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:17.960 to your own breeding. This is meditation, though you're not 322 00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:21.880 calling it that. This is just being present, fully present 323 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:26.400 with what is. The afternoon is long and peaceful. At 324 00:22:26.440 --> 00:22:30.200 some point, he realize you're not thinking about home, about work, 325 00:22:30.279 --> 00:22:33.240 about any of the things that usually fill your mind. 326 00:22:33.960 --> 00:22:38.880 Those things feel very far away, almost unreal. What's real 327 00:22:39.079 --> 00:22:41.920 is this? The warmth of the sun, the sound of 328 00:22:41.960 --> 00:22:45.319 the waves, the taste of tea, the softness of the wind. 329 00:22:45.880 --> 00:22:50.279 This is what's real. Evening comes gently. You make dinner 330 00:22:50.319 --> 00:22:54.359 procaster akin, you're not being created with food, and that's okay. 331 00:22:54.839 --> 00:22:57.279 You eat, and then you sit by the fire and 332 00:22:57.400 --> 00:23:01.720 read until your eyes are tired. The fire crackles and 333 00:23:01.799 --> 00:23:06.200 pops outside. The night is quiet inside, the cottage is 334 00:23:06.279 --> 00:23:11.079 warm and cozy. You're completely content. Not happy in an 335 00:23:11.119 --> 00:23:16.039 excited way, but content in a deep, quiet way, satisfied 336 00:23:16.079 --> 00:23:21.079 at peace. Your third night on the islands, two more days. 337 00:23:21.960 --> 00:23:24.240 You're not ready for this to eat, but you're not 338 00:23:24.359 --> 00:23:28.079 cleaning to it either. You just hear now, grateful for 339 00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:31.960 this day and trusting that tomorrow will bring what it brings. 340 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:36.200 Sleep comes like a gift, easy and natural and deep. 341 00:23:36.960 --> 00:23:42.920 Day six, Friday gathering. You wake with energy today after 342 00:23:43.119 --> 00:23:46.240 yesterday's deep breast. Your body is ready to move again. 343 00:23:46.839 --> 00:23:50.839 The day is beautiful, clear and bright, with a fresh breeze. 344 00:23:51.279 --> 00:23:54.960 After breakfast, we decide to spend the day gathering things 345 00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:59.160 from the island, small treasures to take home as memories. 346 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:02.640 If you take a canvass bag and walk to the beaches, 347 00:24:02.920 --> 00:24:07.799 you collect shields, not indiscriminately, but choosing each one carefully, 348 00:24:08.440 --> 00:24:12.079 Shells that are whole and beautiful, each one special in 349 00:24:12.119 --> 00:24:17.680 its own way. Scallog shields, mussel shiels, spiral shells, flat stones, 350 00:24:17.799 --> 00:24:21.759 worm smooth By the sea, you find sea glass, pieces 351 00:24:21.799 --> 00:24:25.480 of old bottles tumbled by the ocean until they're frosted 352 00:24:25.519 --> 00:24:30.359 and smooth blue glass, green glass, clear glass, brown glass. 353 00:24:30.720 --> 00:24:34.839 Each piece is a small gem. You find interesting pieces 354 00:24:34.920 --> 00:24:39.119 of drift wood, branches bleached white by sun, and salt 355 00:24:39.559 --> 00:24:43.680 shaped by water into sculptural forms. You choose a few 356 00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:47.200 small pieces that will fit in your bag. As you 357 00:24:47.359 --> 00:24:51.279 gather your mindful you take only what calls to you, 358 00:24:51.960 --> 00:24:55.839 only what feels right. You live far more than you take. 359 00:24:56.359 --> 00:25:01.319 The island gives generously, but you accept respect fully. At 360 00:25:01.359 --> 00:25:05.440 one pitch you find a perfect seven dollar mining's intact 361 00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:09.839 white star pattern. It's a rare find, and you hold 362 00:25:09.880 --> 00:25:15.319 it carefully, almost reverently. By midday, your bag has a 363 00:25:15.319 --> 00:25:19.119 small collection of treasures. You return to the cottage and 364 00:25:19.240 --> 00:25:23.400 spread them out on the table, arranging them, admiring them. 365 00:25:23.839 --> 00:25:26.920 Each one is a piece of the island, a tangible 366 00:25:27.039 --> 00:25:30.240 memory you can hold in your hand once four years 367 00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:33.680 from now. In the afternoon, you do something you haven't 368 00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:37.160 done all week. You write. You find paper and a 369 00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:39.680 pen in the cottage and you sit at the table 370 00:25:39.799 --> 00:25:43.359 and write about your time here. Not a diary exactly, 371 00:25:43.640 --> 00:25:48.079 but impressions, moments, feelings. You write about the sunrise on 372 00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:51.720 your first morning, about the rainy day spent by the fire, 373 00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:55.559 About climbing the hill and seeing the whole island spread 374 00:25:55.559 --> 00:26:00.519 below you, About learning to rest truly rest. Write for 375 00:26:00.599 --> 00:26:04.960 an hour or more, the words flowing easily. When you're done, 376 00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:07.680 you fill the pages and tuck them into your back, 377 00:26:08.279 --> 00:26:11.400 A different kind of treasure, not from the island, but 378 00:26:11.559 --> 00:26:15.359 from your time on the island. The evening is golden 379 00:26:15.440 --> 00:26:19.359 and beautiful. You make a special dinner tonight, a celebration 380 00:26:19.559 --> 00:26:22.960 of your last full evening here. You use the last 381 00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:26.200 of the fresh vegetables to make a proper meal, taking 382 00:26:26.279 --> 00:26:29.720 time and care with it. You set the table properly, 383 00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:33.119 light the candle, pull yourself a glass of water in 384 00:26:33.160 --> 00:26:38.279 a proper glass. You eat, slowly, savoring everything, making the 385 00:26:38.400 --> 00:26:44.039 meal last. After dinner, you clean the kitchen thoroughly, packing 386 00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:47.720 away the things you want need tomorrow, starting the process 387 00:26:47.759 --> 00:26:50.480 of the green to leave, even though you don't live 388 00:26:50.599 --> 00:26:54.799 until afternoon tomorrow. Then you go outside for a final 389 00:26:54.960 --> 00:26:59.039 evening walk around the island. You walk slowly, saying goodbye 390 00:26:59.160 --> 00:27:02.359 to places. The beach where you found the san dollar, 391 00:27:02.680 --> 00:27:05.839 the rocks where you sat and watch the tide. Books, 392 00:27:06.160 --> 00:27:10.319 the hill, you climbed the old stone ruins. You walk 393 00:27:10.359 --> 00:27:13.200 the full circle of the island, and as you walk, 394 00:27:13.240 --> 00:27:17.519 you feel grateful, so grateful for this week, for this island, 395 00:27:17.599 --> 00:27:21.319 for this gift of time and space and peace. Back 396 00:27:21.359 --> 00:27:23.920 at the cottage, you sit on the porch and watch 397 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:27.119 the stars come out for the last time. The milky 398 00:27:27.160 --> 00:27:31.559 Way appears brilliant and beautiful. You see shooting stars again, 399 00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:35.920 three of them, quick flashes of night and wonder. You 400 00:27:36.039 --> 00:27:40.279 stay outside until you're cold, soaking in every last moment, 401 00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:45.400