Samantha Rector West Cliff, Santa Cruz, CA “My first walk at West Cliff was so cleansing that I actually cried. About 4 years ago, serious family issues left me on autopilot, just trying to keep it all together. When I started walking at West Cliff, I felt the warm sunshine on my back and the cool breeze on my face. It calmed me, allowing me to be OK with what was happening around me and within myself. Daily trips there remind me to be grateful for everything that I have in my life.” Shelbi StonebackLocation: Stone Harbor, NJHealing Experience: “As a kid, my family would go to Stone Harbor every summer. And I’ve always felt that when I cross the bridge onto the island, a peace takes over. You can take a deep breath and leave everything else on the other side of the bridge. When I’m there, I can focus on myself. This year I went through a divorce, and as I was going through that process, I was able to go to the island and collect myself. There was no one there to stress me out or bring me down. I’d walk along the beach, and looking at the ocean make me realize that I’m such a little piece of something much bigger, and I felt my problems just fall away.” Location:Healing Experience: Glynis Buschmann Her backyard, Yuba City, CA “When I started a new job that necessitated a 4:30 AM wake-up call and long, stressful hours, I would come out to my garden at the end of the day for relaxation and quiet. Now that I’m retired, I still head there in the late afternoon to meditate and simply connect with the nature around me.”
