i want to be free!

i've lived in Chicago all my life, born and bred here, and i love this city dearly with its diverse cultural communities, unrivaled architecture, beautiful beaches along the shores of Lake Michigan, and an art and music scene that just can't be beat.  it's a bustling town, hopping pretty much every day of the week and all hours of the day and night.  while all of that is good and fine, i want to get far, far away from it.  for reasons i won't get into here i'm stuck in the city for a few more years, but i've got plans and dreams and goals of breaking free from it all and leaving it behind.  living in a big city definitely has its perks, but i've found that solitude just isn't one of them.  maybe it's my old age....ok, my middle age....but i'm tired of the fast pace, tired of racing everyone else to beat the clock, tired of being just one of a zillion rats sprinting to the proverbial finish line.  i want to slow it down, lay it back, and mellow it out....

i want to drive (or hike!) leisurely through the mountains and marvel at tall, stately trees....

i want to stroll through a field of wildflowers on a summer sunday morning....

i want to lay in the grass of an open field and gaze at the clouds....

i want to enjoy an impromptu conversation with a perfect stranger during a trip "into town"....

i want to sit on the back porch of a cottage in the woods and serenade the birds with my guitar....

i want my nearest neighbor to be at least half a mile away....

i want to lay in a hammock at night listening to crickets sing while gazing at the stars....

i want to enjoy sunrise in "the country" with a cup of coffee in hand....

i want to ride a bike down a country lane and wave at passing cars....

i want to dance in the rain with my dogs as my audience....

i want to raise chickens, and goats, and sheep.....

i want a garden full of fresh veggies and beautiful flowers....

i want to be closer to and connect with Mother Earth in all her splendid glory....

i want to be free.