With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays Linda and I are thinking of heading out of town for some peace and quiet and a fresh perspective. The hotel next to our building is hosting a New Years Eve rooftop party and ball drop so we are planning to cabin camp a couple of nights at a retreat center outside of town.

As Ann Cline, author of A Hut of One’s Own: Life Outside the Circle of Architecture, suggests to readers: “Nowadays, the [person] who wishes to experience the poetry of life…might be similarly advised to have a hut of [their] own. Here…a person might gain perspective on life and the forces that threaten to smother it.”

Pictured above is a local homage to Henry David Thoreau’s cabin at Walden Pond. It is called Henri’s Cabin after the Washington & Lee student who built it as part of his honors thesis for use as a retreat by his fellow students. It is very rustic and not to the scale of the original so it is not an exact replica but it suffices.

Pastor Mark Batterson reminds us, “You need a change of pace or a change of place so you can experience a change of perspective.” In our case, we are hoping a little of both will help us ring in the new year with renewed attitude. Whatever your holiday plans, here is to experiencing the poetry of life and a fresh perspective.