Today I went to one of my favorite parks near Los Angeles, Monrovia Canyon Park. It is the only place I've found close by that has an abundance of trees and makes me feel like I'm no longer in the desert.

This place takes me back to when I was a little girl and I would play in the woods, imagining a nice shaded spot to be my home. Then another area next to some large rock, I would claim as my kitchen or living room. Quite an imagination! My friends and I would play house and invite each other in to our little self proclaimed coves of the earth. This is my happy place! Now as an adult its amazing that I'm still imagining myself in nature. Somewhere secluded surrounded around trees, a nice place to grow my own food, and plenty of time to spend outside in the presence of it all.

Fun fact: There are bay leaf trees all through this trial. I collected a few, which I plan to dry out and use in a soup later. p.s. they smell AMAZING!

And one of the greatest parts of this abundant place is this waterfall. The water was so cool and fresh on my feet. We stayed and sat for a while, collected some beautiful rocks (as I love to do), and enjoyed some well needed company with nature.

This visit to Monrovia Canyon Park was such a gift! If you are ever in the area and are in search of an oasis in the center of the desert, here it is!