n. 1 a fertile spot in a desert where water is found figurative a pleasant or peaceful area or period in the midst of a difficult, troubled, or hectic place or situation

Living, as I do, in a populated desert and, perhaps a figurative desert, depending on who you ask, I cherish the few oases I find.

There’s the LA River which, while not much of a river, is still flowy water (sometimes). I especially like it when it’s raining. There’s Griffith Park, the Getty, and the 105-110 carpool interchange because of the amazing view of the City. There’s the Huntington, the Getty gardens, and that yard I can see from outside my kitchen window with the jasmine-scented orange blossoms that waft around tantalizingly into my home. And, there’s the master bathroom in my apartment.

I certainly did not intend it to end up a spiritually-recharging place, but I think part of the reason is that it’s the furthest room from the door. As such, it’s a place that few people end up getting, even if they stay here. Once DH and I had two bathrooms, I decided that I wanted to buy towels for the master bathroom and use the towels that we had each bought for college for the guest bathroom. Luckily, we have the same taste, so they all match (which was actually rather startling to discover). We decided on a color scheme for the master bath and I went out & secured our towels from a very unwilling Macy’s. Actually, technically 3 equally unwilling Macy’s…but I’m not bitter.

There were also random trinkets which I and he had picked up in various places that found there way into that bathroom, all very carefully selected to match the towels, of course: a slate candle plate, a slab-o-wood soap dish, gourd vases. And not much else.

For some reason, this makes it a very calming place to be. The incense (which DH is obsessed with when it comes to bathrooms) that’s in there is different from what’s in the guest bathroom: I like the way it smells. I’m really selective about the soap that I buy, since I can’t stand the smell of soap, but don’t really care what’s in the guest bathroom. So, somehow, the master bathroom ended up being a very orderly, very matching, and very spare area. With all the stuff that’s in my life in the rest of the apartment, just going into the bathroom (to brush my teeth, to wash my hands with soap I like) is a very cleansing experience. And after a brief sip of psychological water, I return to the desert refreshed.

What oases, on purpose or on accident, are there in your lives? Where do you go on purpose, or where do you find yourself lingering when you get there? Where do you leave unwillingly but refreshed?