Today, tired from a long day and dealing with some hard things, I was once again impressed with what a difference my New Place makes in my life.

It seemed like the last thing I wanted to do–to go exploring–when I came home from the hospital at the end of the day, but it turned out to be the best thing: Instead of circling my neighborhood for half an hour looking for a parking spot and growing more grumpy and anxious by the second, I packed Lola in the car, drove 20 minutes over to Brookland (inspired by Monday’s trip there) and walked around the grounds and garden of this gorgeous, mammoth Basilica, dwarfed in its size. How many times have I driven by this building and never visited?

It was a beautiful summer evening, and in the field across the street (also a new place for me), a few deer were grazing beneath the apricot sunset. I remembered how, when I was young, my sister and I would saddle up our horses at the end of the summer day, our chores done, and just ride the back roads. Tonight’s excursion made tonight seem as long as those nights.

When I got home, I got a parking space (immediately), and it was scarcely later than the usual time I get  home from the hospital. I felt like I had the whole evening still ahead of me. This One New Place project is like magic.