Stress release

When on occasion I speculate aloud where we would be if we had stayed in America, Alex always interjects with, "We'd be dead or worse." And I know it to be true. Our health was suffering. The stress really did take a lot out of us. Knotted muscles pulled spines out of alignment, acid ate away at our organs, and blood pressure increased with each passing day. Since living here in Ireland, we've managed to decrease our stress level significantly.


There's something about being surrounded by nature, always exposed to her changing tones, that sets us at ease with ourselves. In the human manufactured surroundings of cities with skyscrapers and underground trains, we sit inside without exposure to the elements that sooth and relieve our other stresses.

Being at sea is like that, too. Another advantage of going to sea is that you become acutely aware of how you spend earth's precious resources, including water, fish, and fuels, and how much packaging and pollutants we are exposed to every day of our lives.

Living near the sea is almost as good as living on a boat, especially if the shore is facing the wild Atlantic. You feel the storms and cower in their fury, then celebrate their passing and wonder what the fear was all about?

Go outside. Look up. Look out. Live. Let nature be your antidote.