Being alone is not automatically a lonely endeavor. I’ve lived alone for thirty-five years but have rarely felt loneliness. Reach inside and discover how populated is the human spirit! I watch the eagles and herons fly over my house serenaded by waves crashing against the shore and smile. Each and every time I view the Canadian shoreline across the Olympic Peninsula, I smile. A myriad of birds eat at my single feeder fighting for dominance just like their human counterpoints and, yes, I smile. Camping in the Hot Rainforest is a celebratory dance of primitive survival amongst ancient trees covered in moss. My last trip made me laugh as I forgot my matches and ate chili cold and suffered through cold brewed coffee. All done alone, but never lonely. My inner world is populated with memories and fed by nature’s beauty and power. It definitely makes me smile!