DAILY PROMPT RESPONSE

I’ve never had a set way to unwind. It depends on the day. A long drive helps—something about being on the highway, the hypnotic rhythm of the road. It pulls the weight off your shoulders. You end up having a conversation with yourself, and for once, you actually listen.

Other days, it’s music and a large cup of coffee. You sit back and let the artist take you on a ten-minute adventure. When the album’s good, each track feels like a new chapter in a bigger story. What’s beautiful is that the story shifts every time you hear it. Same songs, different journey.

There are moments when I turn to tea. I use the Chinese tea ceremony. It’s a slow, methodical process—but that’s what makes it calming. There’s peace in the ritual, and the tea is always worth it. Some of what I have is aged, so there’s history in every sip. For me, the experience has a quiet, mystical quality.

And at times, I just pick up a pen and start scribbling. Maybe a story begins to take shape, or a sketch forms. I let myself drift into the corners of my mind to see what’s there. On a good day, I snap a few photos and fold them into whatever narrative is growing with each stroke of the pen.

Whatever the method, I do my best to find peace.