How important is it to have a place of refuge when the stress of life hits? What makes a space impactful? We discuss a few elements that make up that type of space and share some stories about our own places of refuge. (While being out on the Snake River for a Sunrise).

Transcript (provided by Chelsea Jones):

Chase: Yeah we’re ready, man!

Ty: You wanna intro us here today?

Chase: Alright, this is Ty and Chase with Love Strong. We’re out by the Snake River. Woo-hoo! This is Ty’s old stomping grounds actually so he’s been giddy like a child all morning!

Ty: Aw man, just as we were walking here today, just right out here behind me, one day I was out here fly fishing, and there was a mother moose that I didn’t see until I was about ten feet away and then when I heard her stomp at me, a baby stood up another ten feet away from me and she started chasing me. Actually; I started running out straight to the river to try to get away before she turned and left. My heart started pounding just coming through the woods today.

Chase: Just think about the possibility of seeing that mom again! (Laughter)

Ty: I know, I was kind of looking forward to it, hoping I would again, just because it was such a rush.

(Laughter)

Chase: Did you go under the water?

Ty: So, I tried to run across the water, and I got three steps in and face-planted.

(Laughter)

Chase: Graceful!

Ty: Yeah, it was pretty bad. I had a buddy with me, he was across the river, he said that he saw me come running out of the trees and he thought I was some miracle worker because I literally got four or five steps in before I actually fell. (Laughter)  I was so panicked that I just freaked out, you know.

Chase: It’s funny because I remember that story a lot of the time when I am out by the river or by bodies of water. For some reason, I always envision myself tripping and a hoof just come straight down on my back and just stomping me. It’s a fleeting moment–comes and goes–but just feels like a real thing that could happen. So you were that close! (Laughter)

Ty:  That’s what it felt like. I’m surprised it didn’t happen!

Chase: Dang! So we we got up this morning and headed out from our place–Chels and my place–where we live in Idaho Falls. We came out, watched the sunrise up here by Heise up by the Hot Springs, up by Cress Creek… This is a really, really beautiful area.

Ty: Yeah, this has been one of my favorite places. We used to live up here in Rexburg, as well; we actually now live in Logan, Utah, but I used to come here all the time. This is kind of my place to come and have peace; where I was 30 minutes away from home and I could come and get a couple of hours just to reset myself. I think just walking through here today, it brought back all those feelings and just thinking about how important it is that we take time to get away from the normal grind of life and find a place, or a situation, or something where we can find our own personal reset and we can seek and find relaxation. I know, in this particular place for me, I frequently–when I was working for the drug courts in Southeastern Idaho–I would frequently come here on the way home from work or on a day off just for an hour or two just to let all of the stress go from the problems I was carrying around from my clients and just see the value in making sure that we have a spot like that where we can do the reset.